


Next Conan Hint

by Phantoms_Echo



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: A!Shinichi, Accidental Baby Acquisition, Akako's Fortune Telling, Alice!Shinichi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Alternate Universe - Artificial Intelligence, Alternate Universe - Doctor Who Fusion, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Alternate Universe - Sailor Moon Fusion, Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Author decided to clean up tags, Author does not care, Card Captor Sakura - Freeform, Comedy, Crack Treated Seriously, Cross-dressing!Kaito, Cross-overs, Cross-overs Galore!, Everyone Else!Kaito, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Ficlet Collection, G!Conan, G!Kaito, Human!Kaito, Kaito has blackmail on Hattori, Kaito is a cat, Kaito's Competence kink, M/M, Merman!Shinichi, Mind Meld, Misunderstandings, No Smut, O!Kaito, Okiya Subaru likes lists (Pre-Scarlet segment), Pandora - Freeform, S!Conan, S!Kaito, Sentinel/Guide, Shinichi proposes to Kaito with Pandora, Shinichi's Dirty Mind, TAKING PROMPTS, Title does not make sense, Writer Inception
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2018-12-25 03:51:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 41,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12027522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phantoms_Echo/pseuds/Phantoms_Echo
Summary: Little ficlets with no real home, but I couldn't help writing them.I may turn some into longer stories, but we'll just have to wait and see.Chapter 32 -Hiatus NoticeThe Ongoings of an Author's Mind: A Short Play (Part3)





	1. Conan's weakness: Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -Really couldn't help myself. I have a bunch of not-even stories and no where to put them. No real update schedule for this one, just posting when I get an idea that makes me snort milk out my nose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt by Shana_Fujioka

Conan’s hands shook. He anxiously bit his lip.

It had been three weeks since he got any. Three. Weeks. He could usually convince Professor Agasa to give in and sate Conan’s craving, but the scientist had been gone the last two weekends at a convention. Ran watched her stash too closely for Conan to sneak a few grams.

It was now coming up on his third weekend and Conan was going through _withdrawals_.

What’s worse, KID had announced a heist that night. With his shaky hands and jittery nerves, Conan would be lucky if he _spotted_ the thief, let alone caught him. He really hoped Agasa came home the next day so Conan could beg some-!

Conan stopped, a fragrant, _familiar_ smell hitting his nose.

Eyes like a hawk, Conan honed in on the source. A single barista in the lobby of the museum –the newest fad these days. The barista seemed… familiar. Dark hair, laughing eyes, it was most likely KID, Conan deduced, but his hands…

In his hands was liquid _gold_.

It was easy to snake his way through the crowd and clamber up a high stool, eyes on his prize. Before the fake-barista could take his order, Conan whispered harshly, “Hand it over, KID, and nobody gets hurt.”

The thief paled, though his smile made a brave attempt on his face.

“I’m sorry?” KID asked, voice a little deeper than usual. Probably an attempt to further hide himself.

“You heard me.” Conan retorted viciously, straining to reach the object in KID’s hands, “Give it!”

KID gave it.

Conan inhaled and let out a moan that was, frankly, obscene. It made KID twitch from where he stood on the other side of the counter.

Weeks, he’d been without this for _weeks_. And now that he’d finally been reunited with it…

He was going to savor this.

The first mouthful of that bitter-sweet ambrosia was like _heaven_ in his _mouth_. He almost couldn’t bear to swallow and lose that little slice of bliss he’d managed to find –almost.

“Uh… Tantei-kun?” KID called, alerting Conan to his presence. Why was the thief still there? Conan didn’t need him anymore. He was free to go. “Um… you know coffee isn’t for kids, ri-?”

Conan hissed and curled protectively over his cup.

KID shrank back and fell silent.

Conan kept an eye on the thief as he took another sip of _heaven_. Slowly, he relaxed again, lulled by the heat and bitter-sweet taste.

“Um, I’m just gonna…” KID pointed at the officers. They had gathered at the stairs to his target exhibit, “… go steal stuff now.”

Conan waved him off. He got what he wanted. Conan wasn’t moving from this spot until he was done. A guy had to have his priorities in order, after all.

KID hesitated, as if he thought Conan would unveil him, just like that. When he didn’t, the thief just… walked off. He looked back a couple times, but no, Conan was not following him.

What did the thief think he was? Stupid?

As soon as he went back to the adults, his coffee would be confiscated and he’d be back to square one.

No, Conan much preferred sitting here, coffee in hand, to that.

What had to be fifteen minutes later, KID returned, fuming. He dropped the gem stone next to Conan and crossed his arms with a pout, “I stole it, you know. My heist is over.”

“That’s nice.” Conan said, taking the last sip of his coffee and feeling all the more human for it.

“It wasn’t the right one, in case you were wondering.” KID continued, but Conan wasn’t listening. He stared forlornly at the bottom of his cup. Empty.

“Ugh, fine!” KID sighed loudly, dragging a hand down his face, “I’ll make you another, just… stop with the pouting!”

Two cups of coffee in one day?

Conan’s luck was turning around!


	2. MEME

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entirety of Detective Conan in 6 sentences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -It started with Hattori. It always starts with Hattori.

Conan: I have been shrunk to an eight-year-old's body by a poison that was supposed to kill me. If the Black Organization ever finds out I lived, I and everyone I love will be killed

Agasa: I’ll lie to your childhood friend about your identity so she doesn't find out.

Yukiko (mom): I’ll lie to your childhood friend about your heritage so she doesn't find out.

KID: I’ll disguise myself as you, so your childhood friend sees us both in place and disregards all suspicions.

Hattori: I gives no shits.


	3. KID's Weakness: Chocolate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -Couldn't help myself. Conan has a weakness, so does Kaito.

KID cackled as he slid in through the roof vent unit. Normally, he _left_ by rooftop. Now, he was arriving by it. He was sure he’d thrown Nakamori-keibu off, given no one had been posted at the vent. Then again, the location may have been enough to throw Nakamori off his game.

Shimmying down the first drop, KID quickly navigated his way through the maze of vents. Not for the first time, he was happy that this building had such large vents –most likely to keep the air fresh for their product. The vents were also cleaned regularly, so his white uniform remained clean and dust-free.

He should target buildings like this more often!

Sadly, it was more likely he wouldn’t. It was only by chance that he had this heist in the first place.

After all, what normal person thought to bake a gem into a wedding cake?

Okay, in the fondant tier decorations, but still!

By the map in his head, Kaito figured he’d be right above the main kitchen of the bakery. A quick look through the grates of the ceiling vent confirmed that.

Officers milled about, waiting for the time of the heist (three minutes). A short, blonde-hair girl in a frilly pink dress stood threateningly in front of a display, two guys on either side of her. The dark-haired guy was dressed in a forest green jacket/pant combo while the other guy (with white hair, like _white_ white) sported some of the trendiest looking clothes KID had ever seen. Maybe the guy was a model?

The display itself looked something of a mash of the traditional bride and groom and something resembling dodgeball as far as Kaito could tell. The display was only half done, the gem not yet integrated into the design –to which Kid was grateful. He didn’t want to mess up the work of another artist.

Two minutes now. Kaito looked around the rest of the room, surveying the officers. That’s when he saw it.

The _giant_ twenty-layered, fudge covered, dark chocolate cake. The flowery decorations were all chocolate icing as well as the chocolate figurines. It was so beautiful, an actual _tear_ trailed down Kaito’s cheek. Just _looking_ at it made Kaito’s mouth water. The things he wanted to do to that cake.

Kaito shook his head. No! He had to be strong! He came here for the gem! He was looking for Pandora!

One minute left.

KID looked at the cake. 45 seconds.

He looked at the gem. 30 seconds.

Brown eyes looped up, locking gazes with Kaito. 15 seconds.

Kaito nodded to himself, mind made up.

The officers counted down. The dark-haired guy crouched, fist cupped with one hand at his side. The white-haired guy fingered something in his pocket, looking strangely calm in this situation. The girl cracked her knuckles.

KID gulped.

“3… 2… 1… 0-!”

Smoke filled the room.

“Bisky!”

“I’m fine!”

“He’s coming from the ceiling!”

“Wha-? _Why didn’t you say that earlier?!”_

“I thought you knew!”

“Your freakin’ super senses –No, I didn’t know!”

“Hey! Less talking, more guarding! He _can’t_ get Blue Planet! Not after all I’ve done to get it!”

“Kaitou KID!” that was Nakamori, but KID didn’t hear him.

He was already gone, prize in tow.

The smoke cleared.

“Inspector!” an officer shouted, “KID’s gone!”

“Haaaah?!” Nakamori yelled. He whirled around to glare at the gem’s owner, “The jewel?!”

The blonde-haired girl turned to look. She frowned, “It’s still here.”

“What?” Nakamori ran over to see for himself. The blonde girl lifted the blue jewel, inspecting it, but no, it was real. Nakamori lilted to one side, “But… if he didn’t take the gem… then what-?”

He cut off at the cry of the white-haired guy. The white-haired guy had his hands in his hair, eyes open wide in shock, “My _cake_!”

The cake was, indeed, gone.

Where the cake had been, was a small white card.

_Sorry for the change of plans, Nakamori-keibu, but this was a chance I could not pass up._

_Congratulations to the happy couple!_

_-Kaitou KID_

“… I never thought I’d see someone who loved chocolate as much as you.” The dark-haired guy said to the white-haired one.

The sound of electricity made the hairs on the back of Nakamori’s neck stand on end. The look on the white-haired guy’s face was _murderous_. “Gon, we’re going after him.”

“Wait, Killua! We can just get another cake!”

*             *             *             *             *

Kaito stared at the cake, unsure of how he was going to eat the entire twenty layers and various decorations without succumbing to diabetes. He could probably freeze some of it and those chocolate decorations would last a while…

He really needed to get a handle on his impulses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all thought it would be Fish by the title, didn't you? :)


	4. How do you like your

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -could not help myself. :) saw the meme, had a thought. This is what happens.

“-coffee?”

“Sweet, heady and covered in cream.” Shinichi answered, not seeing the look on his friend’s face afterwards. However, he did see the look on Kaito’s face –one of abject _horror_.

When he looked up, all of his friends –Hattori, Kazuha, Ran, Hakuba, and Aoko – _all of them_ avoided eye contact with him.

Shinichi had messed up. He knew he messed up… he just didn’t know how he messed up.

Taking a few seconds to replay the conversation, he tried to see what, exactly would make everyone react like that, but… nope, he had just answered the question.

How did he like his coffee?

Maybe it’s that people always thought he liked it ‘as dark as my soul’? But, really, he could do _some_ sweet things, as long as the sugar was offset by something equally bitter.

Looks like he had no choice.

He’d have to ask Ran.

_“Shinichi, how could you?!”_

Or just wait as Kaito left to his feet and threw a bundle of scarves in Shinichi’s face. The detective watched, stunned, as his boyfriend stormed off.

“What just happened?” he asked more to himself than anyone else.

“You answered the question,” Hakuba replied, “Completely serious.”

Shinichi frowned, “Yeah? And?”

“Kaito doesn’t like those things out in the open!” Aoko hissed at him.

Shinichi leaned back in his seat, eyeing her and everyone else at the table. Had they lost their mines? “Kaito never cared to keep my drink orders a secret before.”

 “When you say you’re ‘drink orders’…” Kazuha started, but Ran cut her off.

“Wait!” she dropped her forehead into her hands, “I think I know what happened here.”

Thank God, because Shinichi did _not_.

“Shinichi, what question were you answering?” Ran asked.

Shinichi looked at her, as if she was suddenly going to take her question back, but no, she was really asking.  He said, very slowly, “How I like my coffee?”

“That’s it?” Ran confirmed. The rest of the table was tense for some reason unknown to Shinichi.

“Yeah?” He felt like he should be hiding to get away from those intense stares. “I mean, I know most people think I like black coffee, but I didn’t think it was that big of a surprise?”

The entire table continued to stare at him for several seconds before everyone deflated.

“What?” Shinichi asked, completely confused. “Did I not hear the right question?”

“Well, kinda?” Hattori scratched under his cap, “You heard half of it.”

“Half?” Shinichi parroted.

“We were making fun of a meme going around,” Hakuba informed him, “I like my coffee how I like my women, followed by some smart remark.”

“Kaito said ‘I don’t like coffee’,” Aoko pointed out.

“Which is, in fact true,” Shinichi replied. Then Hakuba’s statement, combined with Kaito’s hit him. _Then_ he remembered how he had answered.

His face erupted into flames.

“Wha-! But-! I-I didn’t-!” He trailed off into a wounded whine.

“It’s okay, Shinichi,” Ran patted his shoulder. “We all get-!”

“I’m not even on top!” Shinichi shouted, as if that made his situation _any_ better. The entire group stared at him again, but Shinichi’s mind was elsewhere. If Kaito had drawn some conclusions about his misplaced comment…

He needed to find his magician and set things right!

Before he went home and found himself in the middle of a one-sided, week long prank war again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know whether to be proud of myself or not.


	5. Alpha and Omega

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> PS -This chapter was inspired by Shana_Fujioka' prompt series, chapter 13. Unfortunately, I can't tag just one chapter with the 'inspired by' field and I'm not sure I got exactly what they wanted, but I figured I'd let you guys know anyway.

KID couldn’t help himself. That scent was so _tantalizing_. Just a little bit wouldn’t hurt.

Tantei-kun reared back, nearly falling out of KID’s arms, the look on his face shocked and bemused. “Did you… did you just _sniff_ me!?”

Kaito didn’t answer because: yes, yes he had.

“Not only is that an _invasion of privacy_ ,” Tantei-kun ranted, the scent becoming spicier with his anger, “But also pointless!”

“I would say it had a point.” Kaito said, a little loose-lipped with that _incredible_ scent in the air between them, “You smell _really_ good, Tantei-kun.”

Tantei-kun feel quiet, eyes going wide, “KID… KID, I don’t smell like anything.”

“Of course you do.” Kaito retorted, “Bittersweet coffee, fresh like lemons and a little musty like library books.”

“KID,” Tantei-kun turned serious, “The poison didn’t just shrink me. It took away my Alpha instinct and dropped my pheromone production down to practically nothing. I don’t _smell_ like anything.”

But that wasn’t right because _Kaito_ could smell him just fine and-!

Oh.

Realization hit him in the gut.

Only Kaito could smell him because Kaito was attuned to him, to Tantei-kun specifically.

Tantei-kun was his _mate_.

The look on the teen-turned-child’s face showed he knew full well what KID had just realized. This was important. This was life-changing. This was-!

Going to have to wait for later.

When they didn’t have a deadly virus outbreak on an airship. When that same airship wasn’t heading straight for one of the most populated cities in Japan. When Tantei-kun’s ‘nee-chan’ wasn’t on the brink of being killed, along with all the officers on KID’s Taskforce.

After all that was done and over, _then_ , they would talk.

They never did.

*             *             *             *             *

When Kaito had presented as an Omega, he had a short pre-heat and then nothing else. He never had another heat follow, nothing like what his friends complained about –sweltering, burning heat, out of his mind with _need_.

No, Kaito just got a little warm, like he had drunk some sake without a meal. His scent got a little heavier for a few days and that was it.

Aoko accused him of using suppressants, but that wasn’t the case. Kaito just… didn’t go into heat.

Until now.

Kaito woke up and found he couldn’t leave his _bed_ , let alone the _house_. His pants were soaked along with his sheets. If he’d been in his right mind, he’d have died of embarrassment.

Instead, he called Aoko, begging for help.

The girl came over, a smug smile on her face which quickly fell when she saw the state her friend was in. Without words, she drew a bath –lukewarm, but felt _freezing_ to Kaito –and threw him in.

“I’m going to the store,” she said, voice urgent as she felt his forehead, “You don’t have any of the food for heat and your mattress doesn’t have a pad to soak up extra slick. Stay in the bath until you’ve cooled down. Don’t fall asleep in it!”

Kaito groaned some kind of confirmative. The water was starting to warm up, or he was cooling down –whichever, it felt great! He didn’t hear her leave.

None of his heats had been like this! What was different?

Two days ago, Kaito had noticed his own pre-heat habits –throwing extra covers and pillows onto his bed, wanting to eat every spec of chocolate in sight. He’d known he would spend the few days following in his usual pseudo-tipsy state.

He done his heist anyway.

And that, maybe, is where things went wrong.

Because remembering the heist, remembering Tantei-kun held by his shirt by a criminal, remembering Tantei-kun _plummeting_ out the window threw Kaito’s heart in third gear. Remembering catching him, holding him close, _smelling his scent…_

A gush of slick slipped into the water.

Kaito whined in embarrassment and need as his hands traveled downwards.

*             *             *             *             *

Conan groaned as he lay in his futon. It was hot, way too hot. He was on _fire_ , burning up inside…

Was he sick? Was he _dying_? He couldn’t die yet! He still had to take down the organization! He couldn’t-!

His stomach clenched painfully. Conan whimpered.

“I don’t like it.” Conan heard a voice say, “He looks like he’s in pain! We should take him to the hospital!”

“Brat’s just got a stomach bug! Few days, he’ll be fine!”

“Otou-san!”

Conan rolled over and puked. It didn’t make his stomach feel _any_ better. Instead, it felt _worse_.

At least he’d missed his futon.

*             *             *             *             *

“Your body was trying to go into rut.” Haibara stated.

“Rut?” Conan frowned, “But I’ve never gone into rut! Not while I’ve been Conan!”

“Correct. The APTX should have put a stop to those hormones.” Haibara said, “So it’s strange that they have started up production so suddenly. Have you don’t anything different recently that you can think of?”

Conan opened his mouth to deny, but paused and though. He sighed, “Yeah, I can think of something.

*             *             *             *             *

Kaito woke up nice and cool and everything was right with the world again. Which is why he should have expected the text from Tantei-kun.

 _We need to talk_ _–KS_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure I could make a series out of this if I wanted to, but nothing comes to mind right now.
> 
> If you come up with something, please at least let me know so that I can follow your story. :)


	6. Ladybug crossover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan, Magic Kaito *or* Miraculous Ladybug, only the events in this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> PS -I got this idea after watching the episode with Chat Noire in Kaito's series. I also have an idea for Kaito being LB and Conan being CN, but that's for a later date. :)

KID held the newest target up to the light of the full moon. His wide grin faded and his sighed. Not the right one. Oh well, next time, he told himself. Always next time.

Footsteps made his grin return.

Looks like his favorite Tantei-kun had made it after all. KID had been worried, since this was Paris and little Tantei-kun was in Japan, but it appears the tyke followed him. KID was flattered.

A strange whirl made KID dodge instinctively. He was… mildly surprised to see a bright red yo-yo fly by. Did Tantei-kun get a few additions to his arsenal?

Kid turned and blinked, “You’re not Tantei-kun.”

The girl standing where Tantei-kun should have been gave him a confused look before falling a bit deeper into her defensive crouch. Her outfit was… tight… and reminded KID heavily of ladybugs. “Stop speaking gibberish, Akuma! Hand over the gem!”

“Ah!” KID switched over to French, “My apologies, I was expecting someone else –someone who speaks Japanese.”

The girl startled at his abrupt language shift.

“AS for the gem,” KID held it up, inspecting it again, before making it disappear in a cloud of smoke. “I will be handing it back to the police. It was not what I was looking for, after all.”

“If you think I’m just going to _believe_ some Akuma-!” whatever else the girl was going to say got lost under an excited squeal.

“Oh my gosh!” a blonde-haired boy landed on the roof. His outfit had a distinctly cat-like quality to it. And… did that belt just move? Like a tail?

Well, it wouldn’t be the _weirdest_ think Kaito had seen. He did know Akako after all.

“Ladybug!” the boy stage whispered to the girl, “It’s Kaitou KID! He’s actually here! In _Paris_!”

“Only for tonight, I assure you.” KID put his hands in his pocket. “Despite what the newspapers say, I am not returning to Paris to stay. I have someone waiting for me back home.”

“KID Killer, right?” the cat-boy perked up, his ears standing straight up in excitement. “He’s the closest one to ever have been able to catch you! He’s been made out to be your intellectual rival. He’s who you’re talking about, right?”

Well… Tantei-kun was _one_ of the reasons Kaito would need to return. And had he not known Tantei-kun was indeed far smarter than any boy his physical age (though not mental age) should be, he may have taken the cat-boy’s guess as an insult.

But he didn’t.

“You seem to know a lot about me, but I don’t know you.” KID said, cocking his head to the side, “Care to enlighten me?”

The girl drew herself up and crossed her arms, “I don’t want to give my name out to just-!”

“She’s Ladybug and I’m Chat Noir.” The cat-boy interrupted, not seeing her glare, “We’re heroes of Paris!”

KID blinked, “You are not Chat Noir.”

The bat-boy’s ears ducked down. His smile fell, “Yes, I am.”

“No.” KID said, shaking his head, “I distinctly remember Chat Noir being female.”

“What-?”

“Also, she only targets Cat’s Eyes,” KID added on, putting his thumb to his chin in thought, “And last I checked, she had retired, having recovered all the gems in her father’s collection.”

The cat-boy’s eyes grew wide, excited again. He breathed, “You met _Chat Noire_?!”

“Chat, who is he talking about?” the red-spotted girl asked, looking more and more confused. Unfortunately for her, the door to the roof chose to open.

“Apologies.” KID told them, “But it appears the person I was waiting for decided to show up after all.”

To the intruder, KID said, “Greetings, Tantei-kun. Did you have a nice flight?”

“Sending the notice to my parents was cheating!” The child groused, then he spotted the two heroes and took a startled step back. “What, have you started multiplying?!”

“I assure you, they are on the correct side of the law.” KID answered as the cat=boy squealed again.

“Ladybug! It’s _KID Killer_!”

“I don’t know who either of these people are!” the girl stomped her foot, “And what are they saying to each other?!”

“It’s just a greeting.” KID replied to her. “My companion, unfortunately, does not speak French.”

“ **Do you speak Mandarin?** ” the cat-boy asked, switching between languages, “ **Or English?** ”

“ **Ah! Yes, I speak English**.” Tantei-kun answered, shakily, “ **I am here for Kaitou KID. I am going to catch him!** ”

“Aw!” the girl cooed, giving voice to Kaito’s inner thoughts. Tantei-kun was adorable when he pretended to be an ordinary child. “You’re so cute!”

“ **You know** ,” the cat-boy squatted down, looking the kid over with his bright green eyes. “ **I thought you would be more impressive, for being KID Killer and all.** ”

“Eh-heh,” Tantei-kun backed up warily, “ **Well, what can I do? I am just a kid-!** ”

And that was KID’s cue, “It’s nice to know you’ll follow me anywhere, Tantei-kun, but how about you follow me back to Japan, neh? After all, this gem wasn’t the one I was looking for.”

“KID!” Tantei-kun shouted as KID leapt off the roof and let out his white wings. The tell-tale whirl of electricity had KID dodging the soccer ball before it ever got close.

“Whoa.” The cat-boy said, in awe of that explosive kick.

“Should we go after him?” Ladybug asked, “He’s not an Akuma, but he did take that gem.”

“Don’t bother.” Conan said. The girl looked at him weird. He took the gem from his pocket, “He slipped it in when you two weren’t looking.”

The cat-boy squealed again.

*             *             *             *             *

Monday morning saw the gem back in the hands of its rightful owner and Conan back in Japan where he belonged. His friends buzzed about him, asking about the legendary City of Love.

Half-way around the world, a dark-haired girl was being accosted by her friend.

“Marinette,” a brunette leveled the girl with a look, “What are you reading?”

“Um…” the dark-haired girl hid behind her magazine, “Just… some things on Kaitou KID?”

“That thief from last weekend?”

“Y-yeah. And, um… the KID Killer?”

“The only one who seems able to stand up to the thief?”

“R-right!”

“Hmmm…” the brunette eyed her, but dropped the subject, “Okay, but be careful what you read, girl. Some of those things can get down and dirty pretty fast.”

“Of course, Alya!” the dark-haired girl didn’t have the heart to tell her friend that these magazines she was reading?

They were from Adrien.


	7. Detective Who?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito or Doctor Who, only the events of this fic. 
> 
> PS - I'm back! :) For now at least. I may need to travel in October for work. I also won't be churning out new updates every day, but maybe once or twice a week, starting with this one. ;)
> 
> Also, how has no one thought of this idea yet?

“Uh, Thief?” Shinichi stared into identical (if younger) blue eyes. He ignored the correction ‘ _Magician!_ ’ by rout, choosing to point down at the child in front of them, “What is this?”

“Not what, who,” the child answered, scanning Shinichi with what looked like an alternate version of the sonic screwdriver. “And to answer your question: I am the Detective, Last Time Lord in existence.”

Shinichi looked over at the Thi – _Magician_ and raised an eyebrow. The Magician simply shrugged and grinned that maniacal grin at him, “You heard him.”

“Tantei-kun?” the second Magician –er, magician, hovered over the Detective’s small form, heedless of the younger’s growing temper. “Is this us in the future? ‘Cause I gotta say, you grow up _hot_.”

“Time Lord’s do not grow up, we-!”

“Merely change forms. Though there are instances where, should we remain in one form long enough, it does age,” the Magician finished far more pleasantly than the Detective had begun. The Magician merely smiled at the Detective’s glare.

“And didn’t I tell you to quit calling me that?” the mini-Shinichi grumbled, “My name is Detective, Kaito, _Detective_.”

“That’s what I said,” an oh-so-familiar grin spread across the Magician’s double –Kaito’s cheeky face.

The Magician eyed Shinichi speculatively. Shinichi glared, “Don’t even try it.”

“You always ruin my fun!” the Magician sighed dramatically.

“So, what do we have here?” Shinichi asked, “Imperfect clones? Merging timelines? You said you were the last of the Time Lords.”

“I am,” the Magician said just as the Detective scoffed, “More like overlapping Universes –alternate ones.”

“Magic!” Kaito and the Magician said simultaneously with identical hand gestures. They looked at each other and grinned.

The Detective and Shinichi sighed and turned to each other for some intelligent conversation. They ignored the flashes, pops, and smoke as the two pranksters decided to one-up each other.

“Alternate universes?” Shinichi prompted.

“There are theories that the number of parallel universes is infinite. In one, you took a left turn. In another, you took a right,” the Detective explained.

“In one, I am human,” Shinichi fiddled with his sleeve, “Only a companion to the Magician. In another…”

“You are the Detective,” the boy confirmed, glancing over to _his_ companion, “And the Magician is the human, short lifespan and all. If he was born at all.”

Shinichi glanced over where the Magician was covered with confetti, in the process of covering Kaito with silly string. He couldn’t _imagine_ a world without the Magician in it, in even the smallest aspect.

The very thought made the universe seem darker.

“However, you do not need to worry,” the Detective assured, having sensed Shinichi’s distress, or perhaps, in response to his own, “the parallel universes are called such because they never meet.”

“But we did,” Shinichi pointed out.

“A rare anomaly, most likely a one in a google chance,” the Detective surmised, giving his screwdriver a pointed shake. “Once we leave here, the disturbance should settle. Likely, our universes were already close and it’s by chance that we decided to go to the same place and the same time. Two Tardises across two universes likely reached out and pulled us together until the overlap merged.”

“So once the Tardis moves…” Shinichi nibbled at the corner of his cheek, “We should be fine? No adverse reactions?”

“None I can foresee,” the Detective confirmed.

“If there are…” because, knowing Shinichi’s luck (and therefore the Detective’s), there would be.

The Detective seemed to agree, “We meet back here and send out a multi-universal distress beacon.”

“Do we have on?” Shinichi asked. If parallel Universes were meant to stay parallel, would a beacon come through?

“Not yet, but you will,” the Detective looked over at the two magicians, “If I can build one, so can he,” the Detective pocketed the screwdriver, “Hey! Thief!”

Twin calls of –“That’s not my name!”

The Detective grimaced, “Get over here. We’re leaving.”

“Aw, already?” Kaito wined.

The Magician clapped him on the back, “It’s all good, other me! We’ll see each other again! Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or the next day, or the day _after_ -!”

“And that’s enough of that,” Shinichi said, heading to the Tardis, “If you’re not here in the next five seconds, I’m leaving without you.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” The look on the Magician’s face was not as sure as he wanted it to be. “Besides, you can’t drive.”

“ _Aoko_ remembers who cleaned up her lab after your latest experiment.” Shinichi gave him a pointed look as the Detective and Kaito had a similar conversation behind him.

The Magician squawked and flew inside.

Shinichi couldn’t help a small, secret smile as he followed. Who would have known facing off against the eccentric, note-leaving thief all those years ago would have led to something like this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, NOTE: Any prompts that I fill will now have the initials of the author/reader I wrote it for in the title. Shana_Fujioka (chapters 1 and 5) is 'SF'.
> 
> In addition to that, if people post a prompt to this and I fill it, 1) I will tell you in the comment so you aren't constantly checking back in ;) and 2) I will also put the initials of the comment you leave it in. Just wanted to make sure everyone knew that.


	8. Peter Pan-dora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito. This is a response to Shana_Fujioka's prompt, so I *techically* don't own the idea either, but the execution is all mine. ;)
> 
> PS- Another prompt by Shana_Fujioka! I'm starting to wonder if I should just put them as a tag... eh, maybe...
> 
> Also, SURVEY QUESTION! For those of you who have read Heartbeat Song: if I made an Original Fiction story from that AU, would you read it? 
> 
> Feel free to leave an answer in a comment, but know I won't post whatever you said (unless you have actual questions that I feel the need to answer or you start waxing poetic about my fics. Flattery gets you everywhere. ;) )

Kaito held up the jewel to the moonlight, eyes not truly focusing. It was only about the size of a quarter –too small to actually hold a doublet within it, but Kaito had already exhausted all of the jewels in Japan. He was grasping at straws as it was with the strange legend surrounding this one.

Granting new life under the eyes of the moon –yeah _right_.

At this rate, Kaito would have to start going abroad. That would mean moving from his home and the KID Cave, leaving behind Aoko and school, and most importantly, surrendering the chance to match wits against-!

“ _KID_!”

 _Right on time_. KID thought as he turned with the gem still held high. He cracked a crooked grin, “Tantei-kun! I was wondering when you would get here!”

The boy stood panting at the top of the stairs. Most likely because Kaito took out the only elevator in the twenty story building, but still. Looks like Kaito would have to start working on his detectives’ workout routines, add in some hill-training.

Instead of replying, Conan brought up his watch, barely taking aim before firing the invisibly thin needle. It was always a gamble. Take too long to aim and Kaito would dodge. Not take long enough, and he’d miss entirely. This time, it was a moment that Kaito could take to dodge by merely leaning back.

What he didn’t expect was for the needle to clip the gem and send it plummeting off the edge of the building.

“Haaa!” Kaito yelled as he doubled over the railing, “the gem!”

Something sailed past him –something decidedly _not_ soccer ball shaped.

“ _Tantei-kun_!” Kaito shouted as he dove after the ( _stupid, self-sacrificing, suicidal_ -!) kid plummeting to his death. Just as the boy grabbed the gem, Kaito grabbed him, and snapped his hang glider out. It was close, a near _miss_ , but wind caught under his sails and Kaito managed to pull them out of the sharp dive to slingshot them back into the air. He let out a relieved sigh…

Then turned on the ( _idiotic_ ) boy.

“What were you _thinking_!?” Kaito demanded. He clutched the boy tighter to him as they banked, heading to one building over from his heist. “You could have died!”

“You would have caught me,” Tantei-kun answered confidently, “It would go against your code otherwise.”

“ _Next time_ , I should just _let you drop_ ,” Kaito grumbled to himself as he landed on the vacant roof. One roof over, he could hear Nakamori-keibu swearing up a storm. Focusing his attention on the squirming boy in his arms, Kaito demanded, “Give me the gem.”

“I got it back fair and square!” Tantei-kun argued, trying to wrestle himself down. He kicked backwards, but the best he did was a bruise to Kaito’s thigh. He got shot at _regularly_ , a bruise was nothing.

“And you nearly _died_ doing so!” Kaito countered, holding the boy with one arm as he attempted to wrestle the gem from tiny hands with the other, “You don’t get to keep the jewel if you’re going to _put your own life in dan_ -!”

He cut off as the boy let out a sharp cry and the jewel in their hands flashed once, brilliantly, before lighting up like a tree at Christmas. The light was _blinding_ , so much that Kaito had to close his eyes and look away –an effect echoed by Tantei-kun if the nose buried in his shoulder was any indication.

Kaito felt the jewel vanish from their fingers.

“ _Hey_!” Tantei-kun shouted in outrage, “Give it back!”

“It wasn’t me!” Kaito said, cautiously opening his eyes. He had to blink away bright spots in his vision before he could make out the change in front of them.

There was a boy.

A boy who looked _significantly_ like a younger Kaito.

…

“Tantei-kun, was there a child here when we landed?”

“No. There was not.”

“Ah…” Kaito blinked and rubbed at one eye. Nope, the kid was still there. “Tantei-kun… you do see a child in front of us, right?”

“Yes.”

“Ah…” Kaito stared at the boy. The boy stared back, blue eyes blinking up at them curiously. “Tantei-kun…?”

“Yes, there is a child. No, he wasn’t here when we landed. No, I _didn’t_ see him come from the stairs or anything and _no_ , I _don’t_ know where the jewel went.”

“Okay…” Kaito slowly knelt, “Truce until we figure out what’s going on?”

“… Fine. Truce…For now.”

Good enough for him. Kaito let Tantei-kun go in order to wave at the child. Tantei-kun moved out from between them, just enough that Kaito could get a size/age comparison between the two. The new child looked to be about two or three years younger than Tantei-kun, so three, _maybe_ four years old.

“Hi there!” Kaito smiled broadly, his typical street magician smile, “What’s your name?”

“Pan,” the boy said, shoving a knuckle in his mouth. The other hand twisted in the bottom of his shirt, a typical sign of nerves, but… the boy wasn’t displaying any other signs. In fact, he looked quite content standing on a rooftop alone with an internationally wanted thief and a boy only a few years older.

“Hi, Pan-kun,” Tantei-kun said, smile bright and childish –acting his age for once, “How come you’re up here alone? Where’s your mom and dad?”

Pan unwound his fingers from his shirt and pointed to Kaito.

Kaito and Tantei-kun looked behind him, looking for some parent randomly on a rooftop with a kid.

Nothing.

“You don’t think…?” Kaito craned upwards, as if he could look over the railing from where he knelt.

“It’s a possibility,” Tantei-kun agreed quietly, casting an anxious look at Pan, “I didn’t see anything when I fell or when you caught me, but…”

“But you weren’t looking,” Kaito finished lowly before turning back to Pan, “Do you have anyone else who’s looking after you, Pan-kun?”

Pan tilted his head to the side.

“I’ll… take that as a ‘no’,” Kaito assumed, “Well, I guess we can take him to the police?”

“They can’t do anything,” Tantei-kun said, “Best he’ll get is a few missing posters and then a spot in the system.”

Kaito winced. He’d heard stories about the system, but he wasn’t sure how much stock to put in them. He’d scraped by with a late father and an absent mother, it couldn’t be too worse, right?

“Nakamori will be here soon,” Tantei-kun said, “You should take him with you, at least for now.”

“Wha-? _Me_?!” Kaito stood up, gesturing to himself exaggeratedly, “I’m a _criminal_! What am _I_ supposed to do with him!?”

“Well, for one-!” Tantei-kun started, only to be cut off when Pan took his hand out of his mouth and held both up to Kaito.

“Papa, up!”

Kaito and Tantei-kun stared.

“Did he just…?”

“Yes, yes he did,” Tantei-kun narrowed his eyes at Kaito.

Kaito held up his hands, “He’s not mine! I swear! I may be a thief, but I’m not _that_ irresponsible!”

“No, he isn’t. If my deduction is right, you’re too young for a child this age,” Tantei-kun agreed. He gave an increasingly frustrated Pan a calculating look, “But you are also able to pass yourself off as Kudo Shinichi without a mask. It could be the boy’s father looks like him or someone of that family, since this boy… looks like a young Shinichi.”

“How would you know that?” Kaito asked, finally giving in and picking the kid up before he started crying.

Tantei-kun took off his glasses.

Kaito looked between Pan and Tantei-kun, once, twice, again, and… yeah, they could be brothers to anyone else. And Kaito knew for a _fact_ that Kudo was Tantei-kun’s cousin. He wouldn’t be surprised at family resemblances.

“Take him for now,” Tantei-kun said again, “He probably thinks you’re his father since you look similar. I’ll contact a few people and see if they know where he-!”

“Daddy, up!” Pan pointed to Tantei-kun, leaning so far out that Kaito nearly dropped him.

Kaito and Tantei-kun stared at the boy.

“Did he just…?”

“Yes, yes he did,” Kaito narrowed his eyes at Tantei-kun.

“What are you looking at _me_ for!?” Tantei-kun took a few hurried steps back, “Do I look old enough to have a _kid_?!”

“Well, no,” Kaito answered, “But, I don’t think you can make a case for you looking like his father as well… and he said ‘Daddy’ as opposed to ‘Papa’.”

“Why would…?”

“You know, there was a legend on that stone tonight,” Kaito cut in on Tantei-kun’s musings, “the Heart of Osiris will grant new life in the eyes of the full moon.”

“You _can’t_ be telling me that this kid is _the jewel you stole!_ ” Tantei-kun threw his arms wide, “Things like that _don’t happen_! It’s impossible! Inconceivable! It’s-!”

“Magical,” Kaito finished, holding Pan up above him. With the moon to Kaito’s back, he could see the bright orb reflect in the child’s eyes…

And see them light up red with an inner glow.

Kaito felt his breath catch.

It wasn’t.

It couldn’t be!

Pandora wasn’t-!

Sounds of yelling from the stairwell prompted Tantei-kun into action.

“Get him out of here!” Tantei-kun pushed Kaito towards the railing. “Now!”

“Why don’t _you_ take him!?” Kaito asked, more than a little untrusting of a magical gem baby, “You’re practically the same age!”

“And tell Ran _what_?! That I suddenly have a little brother? That likes to call me Daddy?” Tantei-kun scoffed, “Take him with you! I’ll figure something out! I’ll call you later! Just _get out of here!_ ”

A final push had Kaito swinging his leg over the railing and steadying himself for the drop.

“Hold on,” He whispered to Pan. The boy obeyed, wrapping his little legs as much as he could around Kaito’s waist and snagging the collar of Kaito’s jacket with his free hand, left having found itself in his mouth once again.

Pan was so much easier to deal with than Tantei-kun (and he was a magical gem baby – _that_ should be saying something).

Just as the door flew open to allow the KID Task force to pour out, Kaito dove off the building and took to the skies, precious package clutched close to his chest.

Pan let out a delighted squeal.

Kaito sincerely hoped his mother kept his old childhood clothes somewhere around the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to say 'Good Job!' or 'Update Soon!' or *anything* remotely close to those two feelings, PLEASE JUST LEAVE A KUDO (or a Kaito. My Kudos are running out of Kaitous to chase).
> 
> If you have some constructive criticism, please leave a comment below. I am actively working to improve my writing skills, so any feedback in that sense is eagerly welcomed. :)
> 
> However, things like 'Make the Chapter longer' are not appreciated and will be thrown in the trash, never to see the light of day again.


	9. 'Cause I'm a Kitty-Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The door to the roof slammed open and Kaito turned to greet his diminuitive adversary, “Ah, tantei-kun! So nice to-!”
> 
> “Don’t you ‘Ah Tantei-kun!’ me!” Conan shouted, “What was with that heist last month!?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only this events in these drabbles.
> 
> PS - I will be busy again this week, so expect an update this time next week or possibly this time next Friday (not tomorrow).

The door to the roof slammed open and Kaito turned to greet his diminutive adversary, “Ah, Tantei-kun! So nice to-!”

“Don’t you ‘ _Ah Tantei-kun!_ ’ me!” Conan shouted, “What was with that heist last month!?”

“... I’m not sure I follow,” Kaito said.

“Jirokichi had an amethyst broach crafted especially for your heist. It was the deepest purple he could find –the size of my fist!” Conan held up his hand to emphasize his point, “And you went after Sonoko’s turquois ring instead!”

“The amethyst isn’t what I’m looking for.” Not right now anyway. If he runs out of jewelry gems, then Kaito will turn to ‘jewels in the rough’ (and ones that had been within the last decade), but that was a _last resort_. That may rough gems? Kaito would never be able to work his way through them.

“Doing so angered Makoto and made him chase you! Again!”

“I like a challenge.”

“And then, instead of using the balcony _not three feet from you_ -!” Conan’s face started turning red. Kaito wondered if high-blood pressure could occur in children, “You _swan dive_ out a window barely big enough to fit _me_! And didn’t use your glider until you’d already dropped five stories!”

“I fit too, obviously,” Kaito raised an eyebrow, “Where are you going with this, Tantei-kun?”

“I can’t understand you! You never make sense!”

“Yes, I do!”

“No, you _don’t_!” Conan stomped his foot and looked _this close_ to pulling his own hair out.

Kaito narrowed his eyes, “Okay, I’ve got an explanation that will put everything into perspective.”

“This’ll be rich.”

“Now, stay with me here,” Kaito held up his hands on either side of his face, fingers like a frame. “Imagine _me_ …” he raised his eyebrows, pointedly, “as a _cat_.”

He pushed his hands outwards, as if to say _ta-da_!

Conan’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened behind his glasses, a look of sheer enlightenment, “... oh my gosh, it all makes sense.”

“I know, right?”

Echoes of shouts and footsteps thundered up the stairwell behind the mystified Tantei-kun.

“And that’s my cue to leave!” Kaito said, leaping over the railing and disappearing, just as the Taskforce appeared.

“Every time! He waits until the last minute _every time_!” Nakamori pounded a fist on the railing. “I don’t get him!”

“Think of him as a cat,” Conan said quietly.

“What?” Nakamori turned to him, not having heard what the boy said.

“Think of him,” Conan said clearly, giving him a deadpanned look, “as a cat.”

There was a collective gasp from the Taskforce.

“... Oh my gosh,” Nakamori breathed, as Conan turned back to the stairwell, “It all makes sense. _Everything_ makes _sense_.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have told you guys I am willing to take random prompts in this series, right? Cause I am...


	10. Pacific Rim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events of this fanfic. I also don't own Pacific Rim or its source material
> 
> PS - I tried to do what I said and not update before next Thurs/Friday... but the last chapter was short and more of a drabble than usual.
> 
> Then I got this idea and... (-_-) yeah, I wanted to be nice to you guys and not wait a week or more to post it.
> 
> ALSO, if ANYONE wants to make this into a CHAPTER FIC, I give full permission. :) I'd really like to see this as a chapter fic, but I legit can't think of another scene... other than Hattori complaining about Hakuba to Shinichi and Shinichi being like "Bro, first-world problems here."
> 
> So yeah, someone want to be my MOST FAVORITE PERSON in the world? :)

Shinichi and Hattori had ranked second on the Drift test for Japan, second only to Hattori and Kazuha. But Kazuha… Hattori refused to Drift with her. He refused to let her onto the front lines. So Shinichi had gone instead.

At the facility, though, there was a person who ranked a better Drift than Shinichi –Hakuba Saguru. He and Hattori fought like cats and dogs, but their movements were _flawless_.

Common backgrounds, the experts had said, shared experiences.

Shinichi and Hattori were detectives form Japan.

Kazuha and Hattori were childhood friends from Osaka.

Hakuba and Hattori were children of high-profile figures, in the same field as they. They were stubborn, wanting to make a name for themselves and prove they weren’t riding on the coattails of their fathers. They were men of the blade, warriors of an unspoken code. They were partners.

Shinichi never stood a chance.

The facility wasn’t quick to throw him out, though. His sharp tactics and analytical mind became the driving force of all their strategies. He developed a second sense of when and _where_ the Kaiju would surface, cutting response times by half. His skills became _invaluable_.

He may not be up close and personal in the fight, but that’s okay. Long-distance had always been his forte.

Kaito was an unseen force in Shinichi’s life.

The engineer transferred from a French Sect with plans and ideas for better suits, stronger weapons, more powerful batteries. With his eidetic memory, the newcomer quickly became an expert in other sciences like biology, chemistry and something that was, quite frankly, black magic to Shinichi.

Kaito Kuroba was a genius in his own right, so when he requested a Kaiju head, Shinichi gave it to him.

He didn’t expect that to land him here; Kaito holding out a drift helmet connected to the Kaiju brain, a second on the table behind him.

“You want to _what_?!” Shinichi choked out, not sure he’d heard correctly.

“Connect our brains with the Kaiju.” Kaito repeated, his confident look turning nervous as his eyes skated away, “If we can understand them, know what they are trying to do, where they’re coming from, how to _stop them_ -!”

“But you must have thought of the possibility,” Shinichi shifted his weight to his right foot. “That, while we can look in, _they_ can look _back_.”

“That’s why we’re using a _dead_ one.” Kaito explained, eyes dropping to the helmet, “We’re just going to look into its memories, nothing more.”

“Why me too?” Shinichi asked, crossing his arms, “Can’t you do it?”

“A Drift always takes two.” Kaito pointed out, fingers tensing around the metal contraption.

“We might not even be Drift compatible.” Shinichi fired back, eyebrow raised.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take.” Kaito gave him a crooked smile. Shinichi remained quiet for a long time, watching Kaito squirm. Finally, he spoke.

“Look into the void for too long and the void will look back.” Shinichi said, eyes watching Kaito’s expression. The engineer’s face fell, shoulders drawing up in defense. Before he could pull the helmet back to him, Shinichi put a hand on the cold metal. “That’s why I will only look at you. You will have to look enough for both of us.”

Kaito beamed.

*             *             *             *             *

The drift with Kaito was different than with Hattori.

With Hattori, it felt like a handshake, a meeting of similar minds with similar plans and similar goals.

With Kaito… it was a _dance_. The mind of a detective and that of an engineer –no, a _magician_ –pulled against each other only to be pulled back towards each other and around and around. Keeping with the imagery, Shinichi found himself in the lead position, his mind’s eye entirely focused on Kaito and maneuvering them through the bits and pieces of a foreign mind that he could feel.

Kaito, on the other hand, let Shinichi pull him this way and that as he focused on looking and watching and _seeing_ as much as he could before Shinichi felt something at the back of his neck. Something like breath, hot and humid, and sharp teeth ready to _snap down-!_

Shinichi pulled them from the Drift before Kaito could even think to protest.

*             *             *             *             *

“What was that for!?” Kaito demanded, as Shinichi yanked his helmet off, “Shinichi! We have to go back in!”

“No.” Shinichi said firmly. “I… there was something in there, Kaito. Something _alive_. I… I felt it, wanting to snap at us, eat us, _tear us apart_. If we had stayed any longer…”

Shinichi shuddered, cupping a hand over the back of his neck like that would ward off the feeling of teeth at his spine.

When Kaito didn’t immediately start up his argument again, Shinichi looked up with worry. It wasn’t often Kaito would give up on an argument, not if he really wanted something.

Kaito’s face was pale white, as if he’d seen a ghost.

“What did you see?” Shinichi demanded suddenly, needing to know. Few things in this world could scare Kaito. Only one thing, now that Shinichi thought about it.

He was pretty sure Kaito had not seen fish in that Drift.

“Kaito.” Shinichi ordered again, “What did you see?”

“It was alive.” Kaito said quietly, slowly taking the helmet off. His hands shook so much that he dropped it to the ground, flinching away at the sound it made, “The brain, it was still alive! It was _connected_!”

“To what?” Shinichi questioned. When Kaito didn’t immediately answer, Shinichi grabbed him by the shoulders, “To _what_ , Kaito!?”

“To them. The Kaiju. _Every Kaiju_.” Kaito’s lip quivered, “To _us_.”

To Kaito, with his knowledge of the new and improved mecha suits and the human biological system. To Shinichi, with his battle strategies, numbers of their fighting force and his own _sense_. To _them_ , the tag-team that was hailed as humanity’s last hope.

“Oh God.” Kaito covered his mouth, turning from white to green, “What… what have I _done_?!”

Shinichi opened his mouth, but whether it was to console or condemn the other, he didn’t know. He didn’t have a chance to find out. At that moment, he felt his stomach drop to his toes and the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Those teeth on the back of his neck again.

“It’s coming through.” Shinichi said, pulling away to look at the Kaiju head. He kept one hand on Kaito, needing something to steady himself. “A level 5… it’s coming through the gate!”

The alarm sounded not two seconds later.

Shinichi looked over, locking eyes with Kaito and he knew. He knew they thought the _exact same thing_.

Shinichi ducked his head the slightest bit in question. Kaito nodded and the two took off, winding their way into the maze of the facility.

*             *             *             *             *

“ _Kudou!_ ” Sera yelled over the buzzing alarm. “ _In the Pacific, near the Mariana Trench! It’s a Kaiju like we’ve never seen! It’s a-!_ ”

“Level five.” Shinichi confirmed calmly as he pulled on an old but familiar suit. “I know. I felt it.”

“ _Kudou, where are you?”_ his com crackled in his ear, “ _We need you up at the bridge_!”

“I’m in the loading bay.” he replied, looking over at his partner as the two climbed into the lift to the last mecha in the bay, Kaito’s personal project. Kaito’s smile was shaky, knowing what they were about to do. Shinichi spoke into his com, “Maneuver Delta-7, Kaito KID is moving in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I would LOVE to see this as a chapter fic if anyone wants to take the idea and run with it.
> 
> UPDATE (6/22/2018): There's now fanart of this! :D by Michie over on tumblr! Check out the link below!
> 
> http://michie-chan.tumblr.com/post/174972064928/sketch-dump-30-maneuver-delta-7-kaito-kid-is


	11. SGN short

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - I want to clarify, THIS IS NOT CANNON TO MY OTHER FICS!
> 
> I realized with NewUserNamesAreHard's fic that some of you may think that you *have* to write SGN like my universe. You don't.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, NewUserNamesAreHard's story is AMAZING and I loved reading every minute of it! :) But I kind of felt that my 'rules' were constricting their fic more than I realized they would.
> 
> So, here's a new SGN universe:
> 
> Guides and Sentinels exist in equal numbers here, (think 1/3 for each SGN). Both can, through traumatic events, come Online at early ages, making Conan's Sentinel Instincts something unusual, but not unheard of.
> 
> Sentinels, with their senses and protective instincts, are attracted to fields of first responders -police, firefighters, ER medics, etc.
> 
> Guides, with their mental abilities and more 'caretaker' instincts, are attracted to fields of mediators and instructors -lawyers and teachers and doctors.
> 
> Again, NOT CANNON to my other fics.
> 
> Everyone good? Okay, great! Start fic!

It was inconceivable.

Through every heist he’d ever held, every trick, stunt, and hang-gliding escape, KID had never done one thing –until now.

For the first time ever, KID tripped.

“OW!” KID hissed as he rolled his ankle and crashed onto the tile. He cursed and held his ankle gingerly, mind pulsing with pain. But he didn’t have time to lie here because the Taskforce would be here any minute and he needed to-!

The Taskforce ground to a halt three feet from him.

KID blinked and looked over his shoulder.

The Taskforce fidgeted in place, some looking him over, some reaching for their handcuffs but never making it. Even Nakamori looked to be warring with victory and concern.

And then KID remembered.

The Taskforce, in typical police fashion, were all Sentinels.

KID was a Guide.

KID was hurt.

In typical Sentinel fashion, the Taskforce wanted to help the hurt Guide, who was KID. Also, in typical Sentinel fashion, the Taskforce wanted to eliminate the threat to the hurt Guide, which was KID himself.

It was a dilemma their instincts weren’t allowing them to work past.

KID was sure that, had Hakuba –a rare Neutral detective –been there, he’d be arrested and on his way to a police approved hospital for a quick fix.

But Hakuba was not there, so KID continued to lay on the floor of Jirokichi’s mansion with the Taskforce dawdling three feet from him.

Well, no use in sticking around in his condition.

KID dragged himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall next to him. Half the Taskforce took a step forward, hand out to help or stop him, he’s not sure even _they_ knew.

Tentatively, he put his injured ankle to the ground and immediately regretted it, hissing in pain. Behind him, a few Taskforce members whimpered or let out warning growls. He scowled at them

What was he supposed to do? Lay in the middle of Suzuki’s floor until his ankle healed? Not likely.

“KID,” Nakamori started, “You shouldn’t…”

“I’ll be leaving the target for tonight, Keibu,” Kid cracked a grin, trying to reassure the officers despite the waves of pain that were no doubt rolling off him. “I hope you don’t mind my early departure.”

Nakamori _did_ mind, thank you! If that stupid thief tried to move his ankle in its current condition, he’d hurt himself more, maybe even permanently! But Nakamori couldn’t just stop him-!

The answer came in the form of the smallest Sentinel –little Edogawa Conan, who pushed his way through the legs of the officers.

“O-oh… Hey~ Tantei-kun…” KID shored up against the wall. He hated that his little critic saw him at his worst, but there was no helping it. “Aren’t you getting a little close ther –Hey!”

Conan wrapped an arm around KID’s thigh, taking the weight off the injured ankle by force. Startled, the thief put a hand on the kid’s shoulder to steady himself. Conan took a step forward and KID was forced to hobble after him or fall flat on his face –further embarrassing himself.

They continued this way, Taskforce in tow, until they found a room deemed acceptable by Conan’s unknown standards.

Those standards became clear when the boy prodded KID onto the couch, elevated his injured ankle, and proceeded to pile every available pillow and blanket in the room around the thief in a veritable palace of a pillow fort.

“Um, guys?” KID called out from under the pillows, “A little help here? Guys? Hello? You are trying to arrest me, remember? Guys? Keibu?”

Nakamori stood in the doorway, looking on as his Taskforce ferried load after load of pillows from other rooms. Conan had taken lead on construction (rather aptly) and even Jirokichi (a known Sentinel as well) was aiding in design and structural integrity.

KID’s cries were growing increasingly panicked –but it wasn’t fearful, rather a bemused ‘how did it come to this?’ kind of panic.

Nakamori was sure that, once KID had healed, they’d be back to fighting like cats and dogs and chasing him down like a particularly stubborn fly. Until then, Nakamori was content in the fact that KID wasn’t going anywhere anything soon.

Maybe he could get some food in the kid too. He always looked too skinny in that white suit of his.

Inside the pillow fort, KID let out a defeated sigh.

Freaking over-protective Sentinel instincts…

Just wait until his Power of Suggestion broke through that hive mind of theirs!

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that went pretty well. :) 
> 
> I do want to note that I wrote this out BEFORE NewUserNamesAreHard's fic, not BECAUSE of it. I just had this on lay-away until I got the chance to post. It *was* going to be posted last Tuesday... but we see how that worked out. ;)
> 
> Any questions, feel free to shoot them my way!


	12. 100% Accurate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -can anyone tell me what episode I got the fortune from? :) Come on, guess! :D
> 
> I have chapter 2 for The Replacement all figured out, but chapter 3 is waiting in the wings. I still plan on updating this Friday, but we'll have to see next Friday. It *is* getting pretty close to Thanksgiving.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy!

Kaito had agreed to go to the school festival with Aoko, but only after _weeks_ of begging. It’s not that he didn’t want to go with her, it’s just… every time they went to something like this, she would run off and Kaito wouldn’t be able to find her until the end of the day. Then she’d get mad, like it was _his fault_ that she ran off.

Just like now.

She said she just wanted to check out the stall next to the food stand Kaito was waiting in line for. One minute, she was there, the next, she was _gone_. He’d only turned his back for one gosh-darn second!

She was going to get kidnapped one of these days and Kaito wouldn’t know until a ransom arrived, he could see it now.

“Kuroba-kun!” Kaito looked up at his name. Two stalls down, Akako waved at him and gestured him closer.

Well, he didn’t have anything better to do. He’d already gotten his caramel apple.

“What are you selling?” he asked, looking at her wares. It just looked like tiny envelopes, but he wasn’t to be deceived. “Curses?”

“Oh, please! Curses? In the hands of mortals? That’s _asking_ for trouble,” she scoffed and picked up an envelope. It had a red heart on it. “These are _Love Fortunes_. 100% accurate, you know. Will help anyone with a troubled heart.”

100% –yeah, right. And Tantei-kun wasn’t running around in a child’s body.

“You doubt me?” Her eyes narrowed. She held out the one in her hand. “Why don’t you try one? I’ll give it to you for free.”

Well, Kaito was never one to back down form a challenge. However, he didn’t take the one in her hand. Instead, he picked another from the table at random (it had a blue heart on it). After all, if they were 100% accurate, it wouldn’t matter _which_ one he opened, just that he picked it himself. Classic magician sleight of hand rebuff.

Ignoring Akako’s flustered cries of ‘wait!’, Kaito opened the envelope and took out the tiny scrap inside.

He read: “ _To capture the heart of your brilliant-minded man, just be yourself exactly as you are. Even if you try to pretend and act cute, beware that he’ll immediately see through it. Stay true to your natural and pure self… and if you keep pressing onward and holding onto what you believe… Your feelings will certainly be delivered to him_.”

Kaito paused at the end of the inscription and looked up at the sorceress. “Akako, I think your papers are broken.”

Akako bristled, “you just chose the wrong one! Yours is right here!”

She ripped the paper out of his hands and replaced it with another. Kaito blinked, opened the letter and, after a quick scan, turned it towards her. “It says the same thing.”

“ _What_?!” the screech from Akako was bone-chilling, causing shivers to run up Kaito’s spine.

Well, at least it proved that the first fortune was his?

Six fortunes later and Akako had done nothing but prove the first two to be correct.

“I don’t understand!” She stared down at the pile of fortunes Kaito had opened. “I bespelled them _for you.”_

“Well, I think your spell needs some work,” Kaito noted, “since I don’t even have a crush on a guy.”

Any guy. Except maybe Tantei-kun, but that was an intelligence crush, not involving any other body part than his brain. Kaito would admit he had a competence kink a mile wide. It had been a little awkward in the beginning with Hakuba, but after meeting Tantei-kun?

Meeting the only one to figure out his heist notice ahead of time? And have that person be a _child_? A child with a sixteen-year-old brain, but a child none-the-less. The fact was just driven home with every heist his favorite critic attended.

No one else did it for him and Tantei-kun was a ‘No-Go’ zone. His life was a sad joke.

Akako shot him a wild-eyed look, “I bespelled them so they would hint at _me_.”

“Oh,” Kaito blinked, and, well… “Akako, is there something you’re not telling me?”

She let out an aggravated growl and reached for him. Kaito let out a laugh and danced away, hands in his pockets, caramel apple between his teeth. He hid behind the apple bobbing stand to snicker –and that’s when he saw him.

Tall, dark, and _handsome_ –typical Japanese hair but bright blue eyes the color of sapphires. Just about Kaito’s height, more on the lean side than muscular, with a pouty lip that Kaito just wanted to –mmm~...

And then his brain caught up with the rest of his body.

 _Wait a minute, that’s Kudou Shinichi…_ Kaito blinked, jaw dropping. _Wait a minute, that’s Tantei-kun!_

Kaito didn’t know when, how, or _why_ , but Tantei-kun had his body back and was the most delectable thing Kaito had seen at the festival yet.

His last thought before bouncing over to bother the detective was, _Huh, maybe Akako’s fortune had a little truth to it after all._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet and fluffy! :D just what I needed after The Replacement! Actually, this had been sitting in my stockpile for a while. I finally figured, 'eh, about time'. :) I think Magic Kaitou should have worked a little more with its magical elements, but I'm not the original author. I'll take whatever I can get. ;)
> 
> UPDATE: I have some fanart for this chapter! :D How cool is that?!  
> If you want to see it, check out this site here: http://ciao-corpi.tumblr.com/  
> Corpi has got some skills. ;) To find the fanart, do a quick Ctrl+f search on 100% Accurate, but I suggest looking at a more of their artwork too. There's even Slytherin Kaito and Gryffindor Shinichi! :D Gots some ideas I do! ;)


	13. Okiya Subaru's list of Goals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this drabbles collection.
> 
> PS: I wanted a little humor because I've been working on The Replacement and it has a *lot* of feels, okay? I need a little laughter.
> 
> Also, SPOILER ALERT!  
> ...  
> I think?
> 
> I actually don't know if Okiya Subaru is Akai Suichi or not... but I'm heavily leaning to the 'yes' side. I am only on episode 767, but I did watch the movie with the snipers and Okiya *totally* killed that shot from a distance only Akai has been seen to shoot thus far. That's enough proof for me. ;) So... spoilers.

Goal: Apologize to Shiho about Akemi’s death

Sub-goal: get close to Edogawa Conan (who appears to be her protector)

        Step1: Hide identity.

                Akai Shuichi is presumed dead. Okiya Subaru is not.

        Step2: Obtain housing.

                (And watch as it burns. *sigh*)

        Step3: Obtain _different_ housing.

                Subaru: hmm, I have nowhere to live now.

                Conan: ...

                Subaru: Oh, I do so love Sherlock Holmes.

                Conan: Hell yeah! Come live at my… cousin’s house! He’s got _all_ the books!

        Step 4: Realize Conan is the missing Kudou Shinichi.

                Subaru: Well played, boy. Well played.

        Step 5: Wait for Conan to realize your disguise.

                …

        Step 6: Realize Conan doesn’t know Akai is dead.

                WTF, Jodie?!

        Step 7: Subtly hint at various things until the unnaturally smart kid picks up on the fact that you are not who you say you are.

                Conan: [glasses flash and (in Haibara’s words) that mischievous smile grins]

        Step 8: Smack your head against the wall as he still doesn’t bring it up.

                “Kudou-kun, I heard noises at night!”

                “It’s okay, Haibara! He likes _Holmes_!”

        Step 9: Resign yourself to the fact that, for this particular season(s), you are nothing more than a dues-ex-machina character that will magically appear when Conan needs you… and _only_ when he needs you.

                Subaru: *sigh*

        Step 10: Stare creepily out your window at your main target, further confusing the audience of you identity and intentions.

                “The only way you’d know that was if you were watching the house the entire time.”

                “I was.”

                (Paraphrased excerpt from Episode 623... not paraphrased by much. Honest.)

        Step 11: Begin planning best approach to meet with eighteen-year-old Shiho –now six years old.

                “How in the world…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know. Just head-cannon that Subaru would make a list on how to go about doing... a number of things. Though, strangely enough, Akai doesn't feel like a list maker to me? Just Okiya.
> 
> Just realized I doubled up on names in the Writer's AU. My Hakuba changed to Subaru... without remembering Okiya Subaru... (facepalm)
> 
> Also, I recently deleted all of my 'Mark for Later' fics from my history... on accident. I now have no fics to read. It is quite sad.


	14. Love Hate Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS- Not really sure how this one sprang up on me... but it did?
> 
> WARNING: Some of the following may be triggers. (I don't know for sure?) Since Detective Conan deals with murders and dead bodies as well as some brief bouts of mental insanity, I think we should all be aware of what is likely to follow, but still. BE WARNED!

“Kudou-kun!!!” Satou called from the entrance to the general area. Shinichi looked up from his desk where he’d been packing up his bag for the day. Today was a good day, with only one case he wanted to take home with him, but the look on Satou’s face had Shinichi rethinking his assessment.

“Good afternoon, Satou-san,” Shinichi greeted, ignoring the other officers’ irritated faces. “What can I do for you?”

“It’s more what can _I_ do for _you_?” Satou’s grin was so cat-like it was scary. The intensified glares from his colleagues were also scary. “I know you’re single at the moment, and I just _happened_ to run into this nice guy…”

“Sorry, Satou-san, but Kuroba-kun asked me out a few days ago.” Shinichi admitted, a weak smile forming on his lips. “I… already said yes?”

Satou’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “This Kuroba-kun… did he approach you on your own?”

Shinichi wanted to hide his face in embarrassment at her blatant show of over-protectiveness. He would call it extreme… if it didn’t have merit.

Every serious relationship he’d been in since Ran had led to some… _unfortunate_ circumstances. The _latest_ of which had been a kidnapping and imprisonment _by his own girlfriend_.

Freshman year of college, Shinichi had met Minozu, a bright, cheerful girl. She hadn’t been the brightest crayon in the box, but what she had lacked in smarts, she’d made up for with enthusiasm.

Perhaps _too_ much enthusiasm.

When Shinichi woke up in her basement, bound hand and foot to a solid metal chair, he knew what was going to follow before she said _those words_. And it was, “Shin-chan, I have something to tell you.”

Those words had ended every relationship he’d been in, male or female, because those words…

...were followed by a murder confession.

Turns out, Minozu had been the serial killer Shinichi and Division One had been searching _three months_ for. Most of the killer’s victims were female, but some males had been found under similar MOs. They had all been from Shinichi’s college and now he knew why.

At first, it had been to get his attention, she’d said, to lure in his detective mind.

But then she had to get rid of any competitors so Shinichi would look at her alone.

Before she could go any further, Division One had gassed the house. Shinichi had held out against the sleeping gas (too used to other kidnappings from other criminals), but it had been the final nail in the coffin for his love life.

While putting the unconscious female in handcuffs, Megure had demanded that the entire Division One have the right to vet any of his lovers, for his own health after that. At this point, with them being the only reason he was still alive, Shinichi was willing to _let them_. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the _first time_ either.

It had started with Hana in junior year. Sweet girl, quiet at times, but so was Shinichi. Her little sister had gone missing half a year before they started going out. In fact, it was the reason they had met in the first place. Shinichi had taken it upon himself to start the search and Hana had hero-worshiped him a bit because of it.

Four months of dating, then it was, “Shinichi, I have something to tell you.”

Her sister was found under the rosebush Hana took care of at school as part of the gardening club’s activities. Apparently, Hana had offered her sister in some sick ritual in exchange for Shinichi’s love.

She’d been sent to an asylum. He still got birthday letters from her.

Leo, the foreigner, had been next. Shinichi didn’t _usually_ go for red-haired baseball lovers -much too extroverted for him. However, Hana had left a bad taste in his mouth, so Shinichi wasn’t exactly looking for a serious relationship.

Apparently, Leo was, because it was, “Shinichi, I have something to tell you…”

Luckily, Shinichi found Hattori before he’d run out of air, but it was still attempted murder that put the jealous Leo behind bars. After that, Hattori had demanded to vet any other guys Shinichi dated, per best friend agreement (and to prevent a repeat).

Latest in the line, Minozu hadn’t made it to her trial. She had committed suicide in the holding cell. Shinichi knew why too, without ever looking at her suicide note.

He’d told her about the one time a murderer had committed suicide -how it had haunted him ever since. She ensured the same.

Needless to say, Shinichi was in a love-hate relationship with his _own love life_.

But, Kuroba… Kaito was different. Shinichi hoped.

He’d met Kuroba Kaito in his second year of college. The amateur magician had been familiar, but in a way Shinichi couldn’t put his finger on. Surprisingly, Kaito had gotten the ‘okay’ from Hattori, despite the way the magician rubbed him the wrong way. More than that…

Satou cleared her throat, bringing Shinichi’s attention back to the present.

“Division Two’s Nakamori-keibu has nothing but good things to say about him,” Shinichi said to Satou in lieu of an answer, “I’ve told you guys about him before.”

“He… sounds _kind_ of familiar…” Satou crossed her arms, “But when you spoke of him before, it wasn’t in the romantic sense! I thought you two were just friends!”

“We are?” Shinichi ignored the way his cheeks flushed without his consent. “We just… wanted to try and see if something more would work.”

“Hmm…” Satou narrowed her eyes at him. “If Megure-keibu trusts Nakamori-keibu, I’ll let it go, but-! I hope you know we’ll have a tail on you for the first couple dates until we’re satisfied.”

“At this point, I won’t even point it out when Takagi sticks out like a sore thumb,” Shinichi deadpanned, throwing the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, Kuroba should be here to pick me up. We’ll be going to the theater on 6th and then the little cafe on 12th. The one with the pink umbrellas?”

“Got it,” Satou nodded. “We’ll plant bugs long before you get there.”

“... Thanks.” Shinichi wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or not, but he decided not to worry about it now. Right now, he had to get out to the lobby before Kaito decided to go in and find him. With the memories of past experiences fresh in his mind, Shinichi’s stomach clenched with nerves, but once he saw Kaito’s smile, bright, happy, and carefree, he had to laugh at himself.

Kaito couldn’t _possibly_ be a serial killer in disguise…

Right?

*             *             *             *             *

Two weeks.

It had only been two weeks when it happened. They were enjoying a peaceful evening in Shinichi’s library when Kaito’s nervous energy culminated into action.

“Shinichi?” Kaito called, voice quiet.

“Yeah?” Shinichi replied, eyes not leaving his newest mystery novel.

“I… have something to tell you.”

Shinichi stiffened and paled. With those words, Shinichi had a flash-back to every relationship he’d ever had –of Hana, of Leo, of _Minozu_. He couldn’t help the quickened of his breath or the pounding of his heart –his body trained to react to those words.

All he could think was: _Oh no, not again!_

“Shinichi? Are you listening?” Kaito pouted.

Shinichi swallowed thickly and closed his book, “Y-yeah, I’m listening.”

“Good. Okay,” Kaito inhaled deeply and locked eyes with Shinichi in an intense stare. Shinichi held his breath, “I’m Kaitou KID.”

One second. Two.

Shinichi deflated into a slump, “Oh my g-! That’s _all_?!”

“Huh?” Kaito blinked at him, then his cheeks reddened, “Hey! Being Kaitou KID is _not_ -!”

“I thought you were going to confess to _murder_!” Shinichi dragged a hand down his face. Granted, Kaitou KID wasn’t _much_ better, but… Shinichi could deal with it. He’d dealt with him as Conan and he liked him before he’d ever gotten to know Kuroba Kaito. Kaito being KID? Not the worst thing to happen.

Actually, it explained the familiar feeling he’d gotten every time he and Kaito spoke.

Kaito wrinkled his nose. “Why would that be your first-?”

“With my luck, it happens,” Shinichi sighed, “ _Multiple times_.”

“...Is that why the police officers from Division One have been tailing us the past two weeks?”

Damn, Shinichi had hoped that Kaito had just been oblivious. Now, it was obvious he’d been playing dumb. How would Kaitou KID _not_ see a tail as obvious as Takagi?

“So…” Kaito cocked his head to the side when Shinichi didn’t answer, “You’re not mad at me? For keeping this a secret?”

“Let me put it this way,” Shinichi deadpanned, “you could steal _the moon_ and I wouldn’t care.”

Kaito got that look on his face –the one Shinichi now knew as his heist planning look. Since he didn’t really need the _moon_ to disappear (Shinichi wasn’t thinking about the _how_ ), he decided to distract the other and yanked him forward by a hand on his collar.

*             *             *             *             *

It didn’t work.

The heist notice arrived three days later.

_You have seen me dance under the spotlight of a pale goddess._

_Now, I shall take the goddess herself._

_-Kaitou KID._

_PS: Challenge accepted, my dear Meitantei._

“Dammit, Kaito, I was _kidding_!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did warn you.
> 
> I think I have one more drabble for you guys before the end of November. It'll be a SGN one( yay!!! :D), and I'll likely post it next Monday/Tuesday, but I have a few extra things I want to add to it. After this, though, I'll go on a Haitus for December.
> 
> That in mind, I have TWO QUESTIONS for you guys. What are some things you'd like to see in the following year (ie, updates, sequels, etc)? And what type of AUs would you like to see a snippet of in the drabbles collection? I've done Pacific Rim and ABO-verse, but am I missing any obvious ones you guys would like to read? 
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment with an answer, just note that I may not respond to everyone and may not take all requests at once.


	15. Guide Conan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS: YAY!!!! SGN! Just like I promised you guys. :)
> 
> Please note, this is not cannon to my other series, which should be a given since Conan is a Guide, not a Sentinel. I feel that this story also has potential for more sequels... but not right now. :) Maybe later.
> 
> I also got a LOT of suggestions from you guys! :D I'm super stoked to work on a few of the suggestions and a lot of them will end up here. If they do, please look for your initials by the title! Also, be aware some of you made similar suggestions, so if I put two or more together, I'll put all of your initials in the title so you can find it easier. :)
> 
> Again, thanks for the suggestions! And if you come up with more before January, feel free to keep adding!

Conan massaged the bridge of his nose and tried to draw his mental shields back up. They were shaky at best, but they were all he had to keep emotions not his own at bay.

Empathy was good, in theory, but in practice?

It was _hell_.

The constant bombardment of other people’s emotions gave Conan constant headaches. He always had to double check himself, make sure his anger or sadness was his own. The mental shields helped, but only just. They muffled the extra feelings, but didn’t make them go away completely.

It was times like these he wished to have Hattori’s clairvoyance. An equally useful skill when it came to deduction, premonitions didn’t typically come with constant headaches, only the occasional week-long nightmares and sleep-deprivation.

But Hattori had Toyama-san, for what her level 3 Sentinel mental fortitude could do for him.

Conan only had KID heists.

He’d found his safe haven by accident, actually. He’d been suffering a headache much like this one; was more focused on keeping his mental shields intact and his “Guide in distress” at bay –when he’d felt it.

*             *             *             *             *

Conan’s breath hitched as his mind brushed against another unexpectedly. Unexpected because this mind hadn’t felt like one, hadn’t been _overflowing_ with emotions.

It was a mind without feelings.

No, that wasn’t right –a mind that held its emotions inside, away from prying eyes.

Conan was, admittedly, curious. He scanned the area before taking a seat on a stone bench, confident the police would keep a watch for KID. He leaned against Ran, using her as the barest anchor he could as he dove inwards, then out.

The mind that piqued his interest held the feel of a strong Sentinel, but it was muted, covert. It was open, as if inviting Guides to come and look, for they would find nothing of importance. It was like its owner was taunting him.

Conan couldn’t help but take a peek.

Behind those strong mental walls was a veritable maze. Somewhere deep down was the Sentinel’s conscious, Conan was sure, but he didn’t get a chance to look.

The Sentinel felt him poking around and _threw_ Conan from his mind, imaginary doors slamming shut. The abrupt return to his own senses felt like a sudden ice-bath. Too caught up in his own curiosity, Conan hadn’t noticed when the emotions had begun to fade until they were thrown back in his face _ten-fold_.

“Conan?” Ran asked, raising a hand to run her fingers through his hair. “Are you all right? You sound like you hurt yourself.”

Had he made a sound? He didn’t know. He couldn’t tell.

“I-I’m fine, Ran-nee-chan,” Conan replied as he desperately tried to get rid of the torrent of emotions. He slammed his mental walls up, but he knew they wouldn’t hold his distress for long.

“If you say so…” Ran looked concerned. Conan wasn’t doing a good job reassuring her. “Maybe you should stay here until the heist starts…”

“O-Okay,” Conan acquiesced too easily. He felt his shields waver. “I’ll do that.”

Any other time, his pride would keep him from acting, but Conan had too much to lose if his secret got out. Which is why he did the mental equivalent of pawing at the doors to that mysterious quiet mind.

 _Not an attack,_ he tried to convey _, not a bond. Just need rest._

The Sentinel caved, allowing Conan to slip inside, to the blissful quiet that lay between the Sentinel’s emotions and the rest of the world. Conan breathed a sigh of relief as the world around him fell silent, nostalgic of his days as a Neutral.

Beside him, Ran wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close in a side hug. Conan snuggled in and fell a bit further into his trance.

The maze of the Sentinel’s mind changed, partitioning off the ‘door’ and Conan’s own presence from their own, but that was fine. Conan didn’t need to intrude on the Sentinel’s thoughts and memories. He didn’t need a bond –just a quiet space every once in a while to breathe before he took on the world again. He was content to sit by the ‘door’ of this beautiful, quiet mind until the KID heist began.

Ran nudged him as the countdown started. Conan blinked and stretched, feeling some-what invigorated now that the world was quiet again. Suddenly, joining the mob of Taskforce Officers in a mad chase around City Hall didn’t seem so painful. For the first time in a long time, Conan didn’t lose himself among the mob mindset.

He made it to the roof with enough time to fire off a single soccer ball before the thief took off into the night.

Later, Ran was helping him into the car when the Sentinel prodded him to leave his quiet sanctuary.

Reluctant as he was, Conan did so, fortifying his shields before leaving the safe haven he’d found. The world was just as loud as before, but he could manage. For now.

*             *             *             *             *

That mind returned with every KID heist, so Conan had to think it was one of the officers on the Taskforce. He didn’t necessarily need to intrude _every_ time, but in a life that rarely let him catch his breath, Conan learned to take every chance he could get.

And the Sentinel was amiable enough, always allowing Conan in –sometimes enticing him with a small mental ‘ping’. Conan didn’t think much of it. He knew higher powered Sentinels required high level Guides to ground them. Conan didn’t know how powerful his own rank was, but any little bit helped, right?

In return for peace and quiet, Conan was happy to help tie down the Sentinel’s senses so he could use them properly. It was like holding the strings of a bunch of balloons as the Sentinel yanked them down, let them drift up and so on. As long as they never got loose, the two were fine.

KID was extra hard to catch that heist, but Conan figured that was because he was a bit distracted.

He didn’t mind. That was part of the thrill of the chase. Even without the Sentinel’s mind, Conan would join in the heists any way he could. Maybe it was the crowd’s constant litany of awe and happiness that felt less like sandpaper and more like silk, but Conan couldn’t say he found the heists bothersome at all.

Then, one heist, the Sentinel’s mind was… _different_. The partition that kept Conan back was gone. It unsettled Conan, making him bunch up against the entrance to the Sentinel’s mind. He didn’t want to accidentally go where he wasn’t wanted.

But the path widened, as if to draw more attention to itself, taunting Conan’s curiosity.

In the real world, Conan paused on the stairs he’d been running up, hand tight on the railing before taking off again to chase the white Phantom. Inwardly, he let his mind be drawn deeper, just a little –and felt the doors start to close behind him.

That’s when it hit him

The Sentinel was trying to bond with him – Conan as a child; having not ever met; in the middle of a heist-!

Conan tore himself from the Sentinel’s mind, heedless of what it meant for the Sentinel and himself. At the same time, his foot slipped on the stairs in the real world. He stumbled awkwardly –felt his feet slip over the edge of the stairs –and grabbed onto the railing base as the rest of his body tumbled off the side. The world was loud, _too loud_ , he couldn’t drown it out, couldn’t _draw up his mental shields, couldn’t hold on, couldn’t breathe-!_

His hands slipped.

Conan plummeted down the stairwell.

The world screamed at him. Wind whistled past his ears.

The Sentinel’s mind snapped around his like a rubber band as white-gloved hands plucked him from the air.

The shot of a gun and the whiz of steel cable and suddenly, Conan was falling _up_ instead of _down_.

Distantly, Conan felt the minds of the Taskforce clambering to reach him, and he winced, realizing he’d sent out a “Guide in distress” wave to every Sentinel in the area in his panic.

Including _his_ Sentinel.

Who was currently wrapped around Conan’s mind tight enough to hide him from other _Guides_ let alone the Sentinels below.

Everything was such a _mess_.

Conan thought his rescuer would put him down on the stairs when he’d climbed the railing, but the man didn’t. Instead, he ran up the stairs –or _continued_ running, Conan amended when he saw white clothed arms and legs, gloved fingers grasping his small frame.

Only one person would be dumb enough to wear white to a KID heist.

“KID!” Conan squirmed in the thief’s grasp. “Put me down!”

“So you can careen off the side of the building too?” the thief snarled. “Not likely.”

The harsh response made Conan pause, long enough for KID to deploy his hang glider and throw them both off the building –and once in the air, struggling was a death sentence.

“KID,” Conan tried again, quieter, “where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere you and I can have a chat, little Guide,” KID replied, banking around a building.

Conan winced at the words “little Guide”, wondering where his previous title of “Tantei-kun” had gone. He tried to get a read on the thief, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t untangle himself from the Sentinel’s mind. It held fast, a sticky glue trap of a mind, when Conan realized.

It wasn’t getting weaker.

KID and Conan were several blocks away from the heist site. The Sentinel’s grasp on him should be weakening with distance.

It wasn’t.

“You…” Conan breathed, eyes wide “You’re the _Sentinel_?!”

“Hmm… so you didn’t know.” KID wondered aloud. “I know you never tried to press for more than a shield, but I had thought your sudden rejection had come from knowing my identity. I should have known it was because you were too young to bond.”

Conan recoiled at that, but stubbornly said nothing.

KID eyed him, suspicious.

“You know I can feel you displeasure,” KID noted, his mind wrapping a tad snugger. “You’re deep enough down that our emotions are starting to bleed together.”

“Are you sure it’s not your _own_ displeasure?” Conan snapped, then winced at his words. KID narrowed his eyes at him, but said nothing.

After a small circling maneuver, they landed on a smaller rooftop. It was at an altitude lower than what helicopters were allowed to fly in the city, so the police would have to follow on foot and by then, KID could be gone.

KID’s cape fluttered down, the mechanism for his glider folding up. He set Conan on the ground, but didn’t let go of his shoulders. Instead, KID knelt to look him in the eye.

“You want to tell me what happened back there?” It wasn’t really a question.

“I tripped,” Conan answered, his ears burning in his embarrassment.

“Tripped,” KID repeated. Conan could _feel_ his disbelief, distant as it was.

“I was surprised, okay?” Conan defended, cheeks heating. “You asked for a bond in the middle of a _heist_! I panicked and the world was too loud and I tripped and slid-!”

“What do you mean too loud?” KID cut in before Conan could work himself up.

Conan swallowed thickly and looked anyway _but_ at KID’s face, but there was no escape. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I am an empath.”

KID frowned, but said nothing, prompting Conan to continue.

“I can feel everyone’s emotions. In a city like Tokyo, it’s a lot –too much sometimes. So when I found a mind that was quiet…” Conan hung his head. “I couldn’t help myself.”

“That’s why you were so insistent that first time,” KID muttered. “I thought Hakuba had wizened up and enlisted a Guide to penetrate my mind.”

“I didn’t know it was _you_!” Conan protested hotly.

“I gathered that,” KID agreed, cooling the boy’s temperature, “Especially since you helped me with my senses and kept me from zoning at a heist."

And, yeah, Conan did that. Crap.

In his defense, he’d _thought_ he’d been helping an _officer_ , not an internationally wanted _thief_.

“So what now?” he asked, needing to know. Conan knew he should turn in the thief first chance he got, but… he didn’t want to.

KID’s mind was the first safe haven he’d found since coming online.

He didn’t want to lose it.

A tickle of amusement reminded him that KID’s mind was wrapped around his own.

“Your thoughts are more honest than your words, Tantei-kun,” KID grinned. “Why don’t we bond? I know legal bonding age is 16, but I feel the Center would make an exception for your current situation…?”

Conan’s mind screamed a negative before he could even open his mouth to reply. KID actually flinched back at the volume, much to Conan’s chagrin.

“I… didn’t realize you were so _against_ it, Tantei-kun,” KID’s smile had dropped, leaving a strangely blank mask behind. Even his mind felt barren to Conan, giving him no hints to the thief’s own emotions. “I would have thought you’d be more amiable, given that you hadn’t wanted to turn me in, even though I’m a thief. And you were the one to seek me out…?”

Conan wanted to. He _really_ _did_ , but it was too dangerous, too _dangerous_ for KID. If Conan was found, if _they_ found him, if they realized he wasn’t _dead_ –it was too dangerous for KID.

So he couldn’t.

“There’s something going on in that head of yours, Tantei-kun,” KID said, a confused frown on his lips. “I can feel your fear and distress. Is it… is it because of me?”

 _No_. Instant denial. Conan knew, _KID would never hurt me_.

“Then who…?” KID didn’t have time to finish his question before steel grey eyes came to Conan’s mind, unbidden. They stole away from his memories, trailing silver hair and gun smoke. The memory had just started to hurt – _his head bleeding, fire in his veins, boiling him alive –_when Conan managed to shove it back into the box he’d locked it in.

KID looked equal parts sick and enraged. “Tantei-kun. Who. Was. That?”

It was a stupid idea to try to lie to the thief, the _Sentinel_ , that had hold of Conan’s mind. Instead, he replied, “he’s the reason we can’t bond.”

“He is the danger?” KID frowned, sensing more from Conan that he wished to let on. “No, not just him. Others too, but him especially.”

Conan gave a half-hearted shrug.

“I could help, you know,” KID offered, eyes sincere even in the shadow of the night. “You don’t have to be alone. We could do this together…?”

_No. Still dangerous. If they found out-!_

KID scoffed, “They would have to find out who I am first, Tantei-kun, but I’ll relent for now.”

For now.

Yeah, for now. Just… for now. Later, when Gin was gone and the Black Organization was down and Haibara had _finished_ , then they could…

KID smiled, teeth white in the dark. “I’ll be waiting, Tantei-kun.”

Overhead, the sound of helicopter blades preceded a blinding search light. Conan covered his eyes against the harsh light, but KID just glanced upwards, smile still playing at his lips. “Guess it’s time for me to go.”

Before Conan could pull away, KID enveloped him in a hug. A whisper caressed his ear, “be safe, Tantei-kun.”

Then KID was gone, taking off into the night. Conan ran to the edge to watch the white figure disappear into the dark. Slowly, as the distance grew, the thief’s hold on his mind faded until he was, once again, alone in a world too loud.

*             *             *             *             *

Later that night, after Ran had mother-henned him for being kidnapped (albeit from KID, so… meh) and staying out so late, Conan felt his phone vibrate. Holding it up, he frowned at the message icon on the screen.

_Number unknown_

He probably shouldn’t respond, but… there was no harm in reading it, right?

_In case you ever need a reprieve, Tantei-kun._

Conan scoffed, even as his cheeks reddened with heat.

Stupid thief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, that felt good. Guide!Conan is such an interesting concept! :) also Guide!Hattori. I think that would be a fun one to work with. ;) Oh well, later.
> 
> Like I said above, feel free to leave more suggestions. Any AUs are fine, whether it's general like ABO or more specific like Merboy AU where Kaito is like "I like him, but the F-F-F-Finny parts!"
> 
> Also, I plan to work on the next addition to SGN (featuring more Hattori/Hakuba, sorry KaiShin lovers) and the Writer's AU, which will be interesting since I'll be writing the actual 'book' Kaito and Shinichi work on *as well as* their back and forth in the planning phase. I'm super excited. :)
> 
> Anyway, last one for a while! See you next year! :) (Or maybe a little inbetween... Meh, don't hold your breath. You'll probably pass out before then.)


	16. Writer's AU (what could have been)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS -HI AGAIN! Did everyone have a good Christmas break? I know I did! :D
> 
> So we're starting off with a little thing that *could have been* the Writer's AU that I have a series on. This was an early chapter/oneshot that I had lost and found again recently. A lot has changed, hasn't it? :) I also have two more chapters in the real Writer's AU, but I plan to put those out later this week or next week to give me some time to write chapter 3 and the chapters for the Product. 
> 
> I am also posting a few chapters of an Original Fiction of mine that I would like some feedback on. The chapters will only be up for the month of January. Any comments on it would be helpful as I am trying to get it published this year (New Year's Resolution ;) ), even if you read the summary and are like 'nah, not really my cup of tea'. Even that is good information for me as it tells me what the reader base I am targeting like and what they don't. 
> 
> If you get the chance, please go over and take a look! It should be up in a few minutes.
> 
> And on to the story!

_The ringing in his ears persisted, ringing, ringing, ringing. He couldn’t hear anything over that ringing. Not his footsteps on the cold tile floor. Not his own panting breaths as he fought through the pain and pushed forward. Not the sounds of the bullets that hit the wall where he’d been mere seconds before._

_All he could hear was the ringing._

_When he’d thought he’d gained enough ground between him and his enemies, he ducked around a corner. Rickety scaffolding littered the warehouse under construction. It was one of these that he shimmied up to hide from prying eyes, but only for a moment._

_A moment was all he could afford._

_Sinking to his knees, he grasped at his side. His pure white suit was discolored. It soaked up blood and made the wound appear far more serious than it was. A bullet had grazed him, tore through suit and skin alike. He was lucky the bullet hadn’t veered two more centimeters to the left._

_He was lucky too many times to count._

_Now, though, his luck had run out. He’d held the Lady’s favor too long. Now, the cruel mistress of Karma had it out for him. He would have been fine with that. He would have been fine with the price being paid in his blood. He would have been fine…_

_Had it not also called for the blood of his detective._

_“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” a voice called out, echoing through the warehouse. It was barely audible over the ringing in his ears, but he heard the next words clearer. “Come on, KID! If you don’t come out, you-know-who will get to taste the lead we’re saving for you!”_

_He cursed lowly, pressing his hand closer to his side._

_He was bleeding, out of ammo and out of tricks. His hang glider still worked, but there was no way he would turn tail and run. Not when his detective was still here, somewhere, being held by the men in black. He had to do something, anything, but what?_

Shinichi’s fingers paused on the keys. He frowned at the screen, biting at his lip in thought.

He’d been struggling with this scene for weeks now. Everything he tried, led KID, the phantom thief protagonist of his latest series, right to this spot. It had all the action and tension a criminal-romance novel needed, but… it was a dead end.

KID was surrounded on all side and his tricks had all been expended. Normally, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. KID could escape any situation. He was an escape artist to rival Houdini. Even now, KID could escape at the drop of a hat.

But his detective could not.

Edogawa Conan was a top-rate detective, part of the Tokyo police force. After witnessing some suspicious dealings, he’d been forced to lay low. He’d switched divisions from One to Two, homicide to thievery. In doing so, he’d met Kaitou KID, an internationally wanted thief who had, surprisingly, similar goals as Conan.

The two decided to work together, and well, as that saying about familiarity went…

But fate was not nice to them. At least, not in this novel. No matter which way he wrote it, either Conan or KID was going to meet a bloody end. Shinichi wondered which one fans would be more upset about. Conan had started the series, but KID had grown abundantly in appeal –to the point where he nearly overshadowed the main character and became a second protagonist. Show-off.

Shinichi sighed.

Maybe he’d take a bath and think it over again. There had to be some way, right?

The bathroom was empty, being that he was the only one in the house. He’d drawn a bath a while ago and covered the top of the tub, so it was still warm as he scrubbed himself clean and climbed in. The water felt good over his aching wrists and neck. Sitting hunched over a computer and furiously typing wasn’t as easy as it seemed to be.

Then again, he’d re-written that same scene five times in the past week, three times more than his typical re-write. Shinichi would be more surprised if his neck and wrists _weren’t_ hurting from the constant abuse.

“But what else can I do?” he asked the empty room. “It’s where the story always takes me. If I’m not supposed to kill one of them off, what else is there?”

Shinichi was a serious author. His stories practically wrote themselves and, in instances like this, it wasn’t always helpful. But he also refused to be one of those authors that forced a happy ending or introduced a dues ex machina. Whenever he read stories like that, Shinichi couldn’t help a cringe. If the story wasn’t meant to have a happy ending, it wouldn’t have one.

Unfortunately, that seemed to be the case with Conan and KID.

Shinichi sighed, “What I wouldn’t give to get into KID’s mind. _He’d_ know how to turn the situation around.”

Somewhere down the hall, a door closed.

It wasn’t a slam. It wasn’t even a firm press. It was quiet, almost inaudible.

But in a house? At night? When he should have been alone?

The smallest sounds echoed like gunfire.

Silent as he could, Shinichi sat up and climbed out of the tub, slow as to not disturb the water. He reached for a towel, quickly drying his legs and feet, in case he had to make a speedy getaway. From the medicine cabinet, he drew a small pistol, thankful for his father’s paranoid teachings when it came to thieves and other criminals –typically rabid fans. Fans of crime novels had very… _strange_ ways of proving their love of the books.

Shifting the safety off, Shinichi drew the sliding door open as slowly and quietly as he could, just enough of a crack to peer out. At the end of the hall was a window, cleared glass turned mirror-like in the darkness of night. The image wasn’t perfect, but it told Shinichi what he needed to know.

A white blob with roughly four limbs –an intruder, scanning the hallway just outside his study.

Shinichi didn’t know how he got in, considering the study had no windows and he was _sure_ he’d locked his doors downstairs, but that didn’t matter now.

There was an intruder and Shinichi was going to take him down, naked glory and all.

Sliding the door the rest of the way open, Shinichi calmly took a step out into the hall, his heart rabbiting in his chest. He took aim at the figure who’s back was to him and calmly ordered, “Don’t. Move.”

The intruder froze.

“Raise your hands.” Shinichi commanded, tightening his grip on his own gun. His hands shook a little, but he forced himself to concentrate. Once the intruder had been apprehended and the police called, _then_ Shinichi could break down. Until then…

The person raised their hands, gloved in white; one empty, the other holding a firearm.

Shinichi sucked in a fearful breath and demanded, “Drop your weapon.”

The intruder didn’t move.

“I said,” Shinichi growled, trying to keep his voice calm, “Drop. Your. Weapon.”

“Mind if I put the safety on first?” the intruder asked, voice whimsical and oddly familiar. “Wouldn’t want it to accidentally go off.”

Shinichi felt like allowing the intruder to do so would put him in a _dangerous_ situation, but on the other hand, his father had drilled gun safety into him until he could recite the rules in his sleep. Swallowing thickly, Shinichi rasped, “Fine. But hands where I can _see them_.”

“Of course!” the intruder answered, his hands coming up over his head. His left hand went to the safety on his gun… but the right slid into his sleeve. Before Shinichi could utter a remark or even twitch his finger trigger – _bang_ –smoke filled the corridor, masking the figure in white.

The smoke was unnatural, a sweet, cloying chemical smell filled the air. Shinichi’s chest clenched up, his rib cage rattling as he coughed in the sudden onslaught. An invisible hand twisted his wrist painfully, gun slipping from his grasp as Shinichi let out a pained cry. He never heard it hit the ground.

Scrambling back several steps, Shinichi held his aching hand to his chest as he valiantly tried to see through the smoke. Nothing. Nothing at all. It was too opaque to see-!

A flourish of a cape and the smoke dispersed, leaving Shinichi staring down the barrel of his own gun.

Down a barrel to a white-gloved hand and pure white sleeves, flecked with red dots of blood. Further down to a cuffed shoulder, dark blue undershirt and tasteful red tie. Up to a pale face, silver monocle, and wide brim hat. To sharp eyes that weren’t quite blue, but some mystical color leaning towards a royal purple –a color unseen in the real world.

A color Shinichi instantly recognized.

It couldn’t be.

The figure held still for all of a second before the gun dropped a few millimeters, now the intruder’s turn to waiver.

“… Conan?”

 _It couldn’t be_.

“Is that you?” The gun dropped a few more centimeters, now aimed at Shinichi’s chin rather than his forehead. “It is you, right? Conan!”

It was.

Shinichi didn’t have time to react as the intruder –the thief, _Kaitou KID_! –dove forward to gather him up in shaking arms.

“I thought I had lost you! I thought it was the end for us!” KID pulled back to cup Shinichi’s cheek, “How did you escape them?”

Shinichi opened and closed his mouth, the words he was world-famous for refusing to come forward. In the end, he just shook his head, hoping the thief would understand.

“Conan?” KID’s eyes narrowed, searching his face –for what, even _Shinichi_ didn’t know. Apparently, he didn’t find it, because the thief’s gaze darkened, his touch turned painful. “You aren’t Conan.”

“I’m not.” Shinichi shook his head.

“You tricked me!” KID spat, throwing Shinichi back, “Just what were you trying to pull? Did you think I wouldn’t realize you’re different? _I’m_ the master of disguise here!”

Shinichi cowered against the wall, not sure how to deal with an angry KID. So rarely did the thief ever become enraged in his books, that the few times he _did_ stood out. They were… _not_ good times.

“Where is Conan?” KID demanded, the gun making a reappearance. “What did you do with him!?”

“I, I didn’t-!” But he had, hadn’t he? Shinichi was the author. What was writing if not a violent form of manipulation? He’d strung along both KID and Conan through situation after dangerous situation –all for the sake of his audience’s amusement.

In a way, whatever happened to Conan was his fault, _Shinichi’s_ fault.

“I’m not going to ask a third time.” KID said, voice cold as ice. The hammer of the gun clicked back, “Where. Is. Conan?”

Scared witless, Shinichi spat out the first thing to come to mind, “If you kill me, you’ll kill him too!”

That gave KID pause. “What?”

“If…” Shinichi swallowed thickly around his tongue, “if you kill me… Conan… will die too. And you.”

KID’s gaze narrowed, “I don’t believe-!”

“And Aoko.” Shinichi continued, “And Hakuba. And Akako and Nakamori-keibu and-!”

“Quiet!” Kid demanded, though his hands were shaking now. “How? How do you know those names?!”

“I’ll tell you.” Shinichi said, shifting a leg closer to his chest, “I’ll tell you, just… put the gun down…”

KID didn’t budge.

Shinichi let out a small, “Please?”

The safety clicked back into place and the gun disappeared, but Shinichi didn’t doubt for a second KID could have it back out and ready to fire in two seconds flat.

KID crossed his arms, “Well?”

“Do you… um…” Shinichi rubbed at his arms, just now feeling the goosebumps that had broken out across them. “Do you think I could put some clothes on?”

KID’s cheeks reddened the tiniest amount.

*             *             *             *             *

“So I am…” KID frowned, flipping through a couple pages in Shinichi’s latest book, “a character?”

“In my novel, yes.” Shinichi fiddled with the ends of his sleeves. He’d slipped into a set of sweatpants and an old knitted sweater. The ends were starting to come loose with all his fidgeting. “You and Conan are characters in criminal-romance series: Heart Thief.”

“Is it a good series?” KID asked awkwardly, almost like the time he’d been trying to get to know Conan. Shinichi still suffered second-hand embarrassment from it.

“You two have ranked number one nationwide for weeks after each publication.” Shinichi bragged just a little bit.

“Of course we would.” KID looked a little like he wasn’t sure how to take the information… and like he still wanted to gloat about it anyway. “It makes sense then, that my side isn’t hurting at all. Not leaking blood even. If I’m a character, I guess I must, what? Pause when not being written or read? Convenient.”

Shinichi fidgeted a little more before swallowing his pride and bowing his head, “I’m sorry.”

KID sounded surprised, “Whatever for?”

“For… manipulating your lives.” Shinichi said, rubbing at the back of his neck, “For putting you and Conan in dangerous situations. For your father, Aoko’s mother. For Gin and Vodka and Snake. For-!”

A hand on his head stopped him. Gentle fingers dug through his hair before sliding down behind his ear to cup his jaw. Shinichi followed the slight push that guided his gaze upwards.

KID smiled at him, a gentle smile –one Shinichi recognized he usually only reserved for Conan. “Why should you be sorry, Sensei? After all, if you had not written our story, Conan and I… we would never have existed, would we?”

Shinichi’s jaw dropped, never having thought about it that way.

“Aoko, Nakamori-keibu, Akako… my father…” KID shook his head, “None of us would have existed, would have _life_ without you. Conan… Conan and I would never have lived, never have met, never have _fallen in love_.”

KID slid his hand away, a cheerful smile on his face as he placed Shinichi’s book back into his hands, “I would go through any danger for Conan, no matter the cost. I’m sure you know that better than I.”

And yes, Shinichi _did_ know that. He knew because he’d _made_ KID that way, but… it didn’t look like KID minded so much. He had one thing that most people in real life _didn’t_ have –a love worth dying for.

“I’m sorry.” Shinichi shook his head, “I shouldn’t have dwelt on your sorrows when I know you only look for the happiness each day brings.”

“I guess even your characters can teach you something, Sensei.” KID’s smile brightened further. “Despite the fact that I’m going into a lion’s den, I do need to get back. Conan needs me. I can’t leave him behind.”

“Wait, KID!” Shinichi grabbed the thief’s sleeve, remembering what, exactly, he’d been having so much trouble with. “The warehouse, the men… I can’t… I can’t find a way around it. Any way I see it, one of you dies. You’re out of ammo, out of tricks, surrounding and running out of time. I’ve re-written it _five times_ , but I just can’t-!”

“Why would you tell me this?” KID asked, voice perfectly blank. “If I am a character, and you the author –why do you think I’ll be able to change anything?”

“I… I don’t know.” Shinichi answered, voice quiet, “I don’t know, but I thought… I thought you might have an idea. Something to turn the situation around. _Anything_ so you and Conan can both make it out alive.”

KID put a finger to his chin in thought, a Cheshire grin slowly crawling along his face, “You know… I might have something up my sleeve.”

“What?” Shinichi perked up, “What is it?”

“Or rather, someone’s sleeve.” KID leaned close, nose almost touching Shinichi’s. “I always plan for the worst, don’t I? That doesn’t always mean that I plan on doing the saving. Somethings… I plan on _being_ saved.”

Inspiration struck Shinichi.

Conan. Trapped in a room. One guard outside the door, all that was needed for a supposedly drugged detective.

Supposedly.

“Thank you.” Shinichi breathed, a relieved smile breaking out across his face, “Thank you, Kaitou KID.”

“You know, you look breath-taking when you smile.” KID cocked his head to the side. “You should do it more.”

Shinichi flushed. “Just-! Go back to your book!”

And KID went.

Later, after hours of writing and passing out in front of his computer, Shinichi isn’t sure whether he dreamed up the meeting or not. All he knows is that Conan arrived just in time to provide KID with some much needed backup and the two managed to escape to a safe house where the detective could tend to the thief’s wounds.

And if the thief said a couple fourth-wall breaking statements in his fever-wound state, well, that was purely for Shinichi’s benefit.

*             *             *             *             *

“Shinichi!” Sonoko yelled through the study door. “The apprentice I was telling you about is here!”

“Just a minute!” Shinichi called back as he saved his work and gathered up his notes into a neat pile.

He heard Sonoko converse with the struggling author, saying something like “-a little scatterbrained-“ which, no, Shinichi was _not_ , thank you.

“Sorry about that!” he said has he opened the door. “I was just cleaning up-!”

Shinichi trailed off, eyes going wide as his jaw dropped.

A playful smile. Dark, wild hair. Grinning eyes that weren’t quite blue, but some mystical color leaning towards a royal purple –a color unseen in the real world.

Or, should have been.

“Kuroba Kaito!” the man introduced himself, holding out a hand. “I’m eager to work with you!”

“Kudou Shinichi,” Shinichi replied, snapping himself out of it enough to shake the other’s hand. “Well, you already knew that.”

Kuroba’s grin brightened further, “Please take care of me!”

“Something tells me you are more than capable of taking care of yourself.” Shinichi scoffed.

“Aw, meanie!” Kuroba pouted.

Sonoko grinned at the interaction between the two, knowing her job was done.

*             *             *             *             *

“What are you working on there, KID?” Conan asked his partner. The thief had been hunched over a laptop all day. At first, Conan had thought he’d been planning a new heist, but when he’d peered over the other’s shoulder, it had been a simple word document –one with a word count of almost 3,000.

“Just thought I’d try my hand at something new.” KID grinned, closing his laptop. “Hey, Conan, do you think I could be a famous author?”

“Maybe if every other author on the planet died.” Conan scoffed and took a sip of his coffee, “Just stick with stealing, KID. If we both survive long enough to take down the Black Organization, _then_ think about what you’re going to do for a living. Until then, I need your head in the game.”

“Yes, dear.” KID sang, not the least bit put off. After all, he knew exactly how their story would end now that they’d passed the one of the last hurdles.

It wasn’t cheating if his author just happened to leave some of his notes in plain sight, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked that. :) little bit of Writer's Inception there. ;)
> 
> Like I said above, any comments on my Original Fiction will help me as I go to publish it. I will put a few pointed questions in the Author's Notes there, but any other comments are welcome. :)
> 
> I'll post again this Saturday! :D
> 
> UPDATE: I was recently informed there is a similar chapter to this one on fanfiction.net. The fic, found in the link below:
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11527999/60/Kaishin-Drabbles
> 
> belongs to allietheepic and is, indeed, what originally inspired me to write this. I didn't remember that I had read their story until it was pointed out to me, but it is, in fact, where I got the inspiration for this and my whole Writer's AU. If the stories match too closely for you guys, I will gladly take mine down to give the original author full credit. I hate plagarism and cannot rightfully do the same without being a hypocrite. 
> 
> I am currently trying to figure out how to speak with allietheepic about this to keep from hurting their feelings about the overlap.


	17. Sailor Senshi Shinichi!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan, Magic Kaito, or Sailor Moon, only the events in this fanfic.
> 
> Prompt by Zeyel and Infestation
> 
> PS - Okay, I don't know what you were envisioning for this prompt, but this is the very first thing that came to mind... followed second by Kaito being kidnapped by that one flower-man from that one movie except it's Akako instead of a man. Eh, details.
> 
> If you aren't happy, just add it as another prompt. :)
> 
> UPDATE 1/12/18: Forgot to mention. The 'Guy' Uniform for Sailor Senshi's is something like the ones in Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! I'd put a link, but I'm sure the links will time out eventually.

Shinichi loved coffee.

He liked it nice and dark, bitter on his tongue with maybe the smallest hint of cream to thicken the texture on his taste buds. He liked it in the mornings and late at night. He liked it when he sat in front of the fireplace alone with a good book. He liked it when he went out to cafes with his friends, like he was doing now.

He _did not_ like it being interrupted by screaming civilians and murderous mobs.

Which was _also_ happening right now.

The rest of his friends stared at him hard as he looked mournfully down at the cup in his hands that hadn’t even had a chance to cool.

“You know you have to, Kudou.” Hattori raised an eyebrow. “Remember what happened _last time_ we waited for you to finish?”

Shinichi scowled into his cup. Yes, he _did_ remember, thank you Hattori. The Dark Nation had succeeded in getting away with the energy they’d stolen and had been so _smug_ about it the next time, but…

But _coffee_!

“Might as well get it over with,” Sera said as she stood and called out, “Mars Power Activate!”

Shinichi sighed and rose to his feet, calling out, “Moon Prism Power Activate!”

Across the table, Hakuba seemed to sink into his seat further, pouting down at his own cup of Earl Grey. “Do we _have to_?”

“What’s wrong?” Hattori asked as he, too, stood, “I thought you _liked_ saving people from evil villains.”

“I do, but…” Hakuba scowled as he shifted his seat back to stand. He left his drink along with the others. “It’s just… _Kuroba_.”

“Jupiter Power Activate!” Hattori called, his transformation making Hakuba’s hair stand on end. “What about Kuroba?”

“Just…” Hakuba sighed and held up his blue pen, “Mercury Power Activate!”

The cool wash of water never ceased to startle Hakuba, but he was getting more and more used to the feeling. It used to feel like ice water on his skin, but now it felt… _cleansing_ almost. It didn’t lift his mood.

“Just…?” Shinichi asked, apparently having been listening in even during his unnecessarily longer transformation.

Before Hakuba could answer, an orange clad figure dropped in beside them, skirt fluttering around pale thighs. Kuroba smiled brightly as he waved, “Sorry I’m late, guys!”

Hakuba gestured wildly to the other Sailor Scout, “ _Why_?! I have pants. You have pants. Hattori has pants. _Sera-san_ _has pants_! So why? _Why is Kuroba in a skirt!? And high heels?!_”

“He asked specifically for a skirt during transformation,” Shinichi explained.

“Yes, but _why_?!”

Kuroba shot finger-guns at him. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it!”

Hakuba paled. “No. Just… no.”

“Hey, are we heading out or not?” Sera asked as she cushioned her head against her arms.

Shinichi gave another mournful look to his coffee before sighing and nodding. “Yeah, let’s get this over with.”

*             *             *             *             *

The Dark Nation’s plot was to take the energy from mystery fanatics. Apparently, the inner workings of detectives like Shinichi and the gang while reading popular novels produced a lot of extra human energy. Shinichi wouldn’t doubt for a second it was true. He knew the feeling of adrenaline in his veins as he worked towards a deduction with the scant amount of clues available.

Fortunately for them, none of the gang had bought the energy-sapping book or borrowed it from any of their many shared friends. It had actually been on Shinichi’s to-do list that day. He’d heard good things about that book from his father.

Too bad.

 _Unfortunately_ for them, the readers that were being mind-controlled by Zoisite were smarter than average and… more bloodthirsty than typical. Shinichi wondered what that said about detectives like him and the other Sailor Senshi (minus Kaito).

“They’re too powerful!” Shinichi yelled at Hattori. “Where’s Kaitou KID when you need him?!”

To his right, Kuroba froze up. Sailor Venus pushed back the zombie-fied people around him with a Crescent Beam before pointing in a random direction. “Sailor Moon, I think I saw Zoisite go that way!”

“Sailor Venus, stick with us! Don’t-!” but it was too late. Kuroba took off.

Hattori looked over to Shinichi and easily threw off the person he’d been ‘struggling’ with. “Seriously?”

Hakuba rolled his eyes and sent out a blast of cold around him. A large group found their feet frozen to the ground, immovable. “He’s just going to go do the thing.”

“Do we know _why_ he does the thing?” Sera asked as she made use of her years in martial arts training. “I mean, isn’t it hard to do, being a Senshi and all?”

Shinichi frowned at everyone and crossed his arms, canting his hip. “What are you all talking about?”

Before they could answer, a forgotten mystery lover lunged for the leader of the Scouts, a gleaming knife held in his hand. Shinichi let out a theatrical scream.

A playing card flew between them and embedded itself into the grey cement.

Shinichi gasped, hands going to his chest. His eyes immediately found the figure clothed in white standing on top of the bookstore’s roof. “Kaitou KID!”

“Do not be afraid, Sailor Moon. I believe in the power of your deductions. You are far smarter than any of these so-called detectives here. Even the Youma will fall to your skills,” KID said. He tipped his hat and, with a flourish of his cape, he was gone.

“KID…” Shinichi said dreamily.

Hattori gagged.

Hakuba looked _very_ unimpressed.

“You know that Kuroba is KID, right?” Sera pointed out from her perch on top of a pile of zombie-fied mystery lovers.

“What are you talking about?” Shinichi asked innocently. “Sailor Venus is right here.”

He gestured with his arm and, right then, Kuroba reappeared, slightly out of breath. His uniform was perfectly intact, no evidence that he had de-transformed, changed, did the KID-ditty, and hit reverse.

“P-present!” Kuroba gasped, doubling over onto his knees.

“Did you get Zoisite?” Shinichi asked.

“Uh…” Kuroba straightened, sheepish look on his face. “N-no. It… turned out to just be another zombie.”

“Ah, too bad,” Shinichi commented. “Well, let’s get this over with, yeah?”

“H-huh?” Kuroba blinked at the sudden change in demeanor.

“KID gave me a _wonderful_ idea,” Shinichi said brightly before zeroing in on where the Youma was planning its next action like the chess-master it was.

“He’s about to do the thing.” Sera nudged Hakuba.

“I know, but is it really necessary?” Hakuba asked, cocking his head to the side. “We’ve pretty much won, haven’t we?”

The street was littered with unconscious bodies, proving the truth of his words.

Hattori scowled at Hakuba. “He isn’t a hero unless he does the thing. _Every hero_ does the thing!”

Hakuba just sighed.

“In a world such as ours, there is only ever One Truth.” Shinichi struck a pose and pointed to the lone Youma, “In the name of that Truth, I, Sailor Moon, will punish you!”

Sera nudged Hakuba, cheeky smirk on her lips. “He did the thing.”

Hakuba hid his face in his hands. “Why am I associated with you?”

“Because a black cat with mystical powers decided you would make a good fighter,” Hattori answered honestly. “Don’t worry, I question it every day.”

Hakuba looked up, “Why she chose you?”

“No, why she chose _you_.”

“So, what’d I miss?” Kuroba asked as he sidled up to them.

“Moon Crown Action!” Shinichi shouted, taking the golden circlet from his head. The circle lit up and started to spin, forming a sphere. When it reached its highest velocity, he drop-kicked it at the Youma like a soccer ball. The Youma dodged, but Shinichi had anticipated that.

The sphere bounced off a street sign behind it and, after an impressive number of hits and angles, _slammed_ into the Youma’s side, causing it to turn to dust.

The books all vaporized as the energy returned to the enslaved humans. They woke up with no knowledge of the past few minutes or recognition of the group of teenagers making their way back to a café down the street.

“I bet my coffee’s cold by now,” Shinichi groaned as they found their table exactly as they left it. He scowled down at his cup. It was luke-warm, but… ick.

“I’ll go get you a new one,” Kuroba said as he ran inside. “Least I can do for running off in the middle there.”

“You don’t have to!” But Kuroba was already inside, ordering Shinichi’s usual.

“Seriously.” Hattori set his chin in his hand. “When are you going to tell Kuroba that you know he’s KID?”

“What do you mean?” Shinichi asked, blinking at him. “Kuroba isn’t KID.”

The entire group stared at him. Shinichi rolled his eyes. “When it stops being funny.”

“So…” Sera cocked her head to the side, “Never?”

“Never.” Shinichi nodded as Kaito came back out with a fresh cup of coffee.

Shinichi liked coffee. He liked it best when it was _free_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple things I *know* people will complain about: Why didn't I make Hattori Sailor Mars? Why is the whole group male except Sera? Why is Kaito in a skirt?
> 
> While 'fire' makes sense for Hattori, Mars and Moon are often the ones fighting in the anime. To make Hattori Mars, I would feel I would have to make Hakuba Moon. Now, I will admit, I have not seen a lot of interactions between Jupiter and Mercury, but feel that a delinquent and a super smart person would have more conflicting ideas than Mars and Moon being after the same person. :/
> 
> I originally wanted the Senshi to all be guys... but I could only count 4 in the main series. Then I wanted it to be all detectives... but still just 4. So I shoved the two together and got the group as is. :)
> 
> Kaito in a skirt... well, it's canon that he dresses up as a female a lot of times. I feel like he's the most fluid character and would *definitely* decide at the drop of a hat and love the terrified look on Hakuba's face. He's Sailor Venus because, from what I can remember, Venus and Moon looked very similar -to the point where Venus tried to disguise herself as Moon in one episode (and got away with it?). At the same time, if anyone could pull off multiple characters, it would be Kaito. :) Hence, his 'KID-ditty'.
> 
> Really, I could have done a lot of different things here. I could have also done a full female cast with Ran as Moon, Akako as Mars, Aoko as Mercury, Sonoko as Venus, and Sera as Jupiter (or any combination) with Shinichi as 'Tuxedo Mask' if I wanted. I could have also switched around the guys or made Akako the main Evil Empress. :) But if I did, I don't think it would have been as fun as it was. ;)
> 
> Anyway, please let me know if I completed your prompt, and if not, let me know! :)


	18. Relationship Dodecahedron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS- This is what happens when you stay up too late and watch one too many conspiracy theories. :/ Just saying.

“Okay, so let me get this straight.” Sonoko massaged the bridge of her nose. “Hondou-kun likes Ran who is in love with Shinichi who has a crush on Kuroba-kun.”

Hondou and Ran blushed, the first looking away and the second looking at her shoes since she was between the two boys. Shinichi stared at Sonoko with disinterest.

“Kuroba-kun, is in love with Aoko-chan,” Sonoko pointed at the boy and girl, then to a blonde, “who has the hots for Hakuba-san who, in turn, has some serious UST with Hattori-kun.”

Hattori punched Hakuba’s shoulder.

“ _Ow!_ ” Hakuba hissed, rubbing his arm and glaring at the Osakan, “What was _that_ for?!”

“Stop dragging me into things!” Hattori hissed.

“ _Hattori-kun_ ,” Sonoko continued with a glare to the other two. “Who only has eyes for his childhood friend Kazuha-chan.”

Shinichi sighed, “Yes, that is what-!”

“I’m. Not. Done. Yet.” Sonoko growled.

Shinichi motioned for her to continue.

“Kazuha likes Makoto,” she ignored Makoto’s blush and the yell of _Kazuha!_ followed by _but his muscles, Heiji! His muscles!_ and continued listing off people on her fingers. “Who has his heart set on me, who also has feelings for Sera-chan, who is in love with _both_ Hondou and Ran!” She took a deep, gasping breath. “Did I forget anyone?”

Sera raised her hand. Sonoko gave her a withering look.

“Okiya Subaru is Akai Shuichi.” Sera noted

Sonoko stared in confusion. “...who?”

“My brother.” Sera explained, “who Jodie-sensei is in love with and who has a love-hate relationship with Furuya Rei who is actually Amuro Toru, that guy who is Mouri-san’s apprentice.”

Sonoko stared at her for a few more seconds before hanging her head. “I think I need to lie down.”

Kaito leaned over to Shinichi, whispering, “think I should tell her that I'm Kaitou KID, whom she _also_ has a crush on?”

“Please,” Shinichi scoffed. “If you want to break her, tell her I was Edogawa Conan. Both Ayumi _and_ Haibara had the hots for me… And Genta was after Ayumi while Mitsuhiko couldn’t make up his mind between her and Haibara.”

Kaito frowned as he thought it over. “I think you have me beat by two people.”

Shinichi blinked, “just two?”

“Akako.”

“Ah, right.” Shinichi nodded, can't forget about her. She had made sure _none_ of them could forget her.

Also, she was kind of hot, so…

Did her magical pheromones mean that she won instead of him as being ‘Center of the Love Dodecahedron’?

... Shinichi decided not to ask Kaito. Because, if Akako's followers counted, then so did  _KID's_ fan base and Shinichi...

Shinichi refused to lose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short notice: I don't support all of these pairings. Those of you who read my other works know *exactly* which pairings I support. Wanted to make sure I put that out there before people get ideas.


	19. Small Things in Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS - I know, I said Tuesday or Wednesday for the next update, but my family's coming to town, so I don't know if I'll get the chance to post, so here it is for you early! :)
> 
> Also... not entirely sure where this idea came from. It was sitting in my Ideas Bank and seemed pretty finished, but I'm not sure what I was trying to do with the whole Holmes thing. I'm sure it was funnier at the time. :/ IDK.
> 
> Last installment of LDA is aimed for this weekend! :) I hope... Depends on how much I get to write this week.

Shinichi was just walking through an estate sale of one of his father's close detective friend, when he saw the _perfect_ thing.

You see, Shinichi had taken down the Black Organization, changed back from being Conan _and_ escaped with his life and dignity intact –all with the help of Kaitou KID (also known commonly as Kuroba Kaito).

Ever since changing back, he and Kaito had kept in touch – _closely_. They'd been allies, then friends, then lovers and now, Shinichi hoped, partners in a more permanent way. He was going to do it, he was going to pop the question, but he had to find the right gem! To a thief that held countless priceless jewels in his hands and let them go, this ring needed to be the more perfect gem Shinichi could find.

At last, he found it.

It cost him three times what it would go for at a common jewelers, but Shinichi didn't care. This was the perfect ring and he wasn't going to let some greedy handed collector snatch it up.

*             *             *             *             *

This was it, tonight was the night.

Shinichi had taken Kaito to a wonderful restaurant (that did _not_ serve fish), made sure to bring flowers that evening even though that was usually Kaito’s shtick (and the other said as much), and then brought Kaito up to the roof of the hotel where they had their meal. Everything was _perfect_.

Almost everything.

“Not that I don’t like rooftops and moonlight just as much as the next thief, Tantei-kun.” Kaito started, winding his fingers behind his head, “but I think I’ve seen the view from just about building in this city.”

“What about the view behind you?”

“Really, Shin-chan?” Kaito scoffed as he turned, “I’m happy to compliment you. You don’t need-!”

Kaito trailed off in a choked garble of words. _Shinichi is on the ground. Shin-chan is down on one knee! This can’t be happening! Please tell me this is happening!!!_

“Kaito.” Shinichi started, drawing a small box from his pocket. “Will you-?”

“Yes!” Kaito yelled, not even letting Shinichi finish. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Get up here!”

Shinichi let out a surprised yelp as Kaito dragged him to his feet and into a passionate kiss. For several minutes, the two were lost in their own little world until Kaito pulled away and demanded Shinichi put the ring on him.

“It’s beautiful.” Kaito said, staring at the ring. By habit, he held it up to the moonlight, liking the way it reflected off the gem set in the cool gold. It was a tiny thing, smaller than his pinky nail and nearly colorless –a moonstone if Kaito was correct. It wasn’t big or flashy, but it didn’t matter. It came from Shinichi –that’s all Kaito cared about.

“Yeah.” Shinichi agreed, though his eyes weren’t on the ring. Rather, they were trained on Kaito’s smile like the love-sick fool Shinichi was.

Which is why he didn’t see the ring change colors. Shinichi didn’t… but Kaito did.

Kaito’s breath caught in his throat. “… Shinichi? Where did you get this?”

“Hmm?” Shinichi reached up to grab Kaito’s hand without looking, “Oh, let me tell you. I know you love a good story and this ring has the best. It's said that it was a gift from a man to a woman, two lovers of the greatest until history. The man died young, but the woman swore she would not die until she saw him again. The ring kept her safe through the ages.”

“Ages?” Kaito breathed.

“Ages.” He agreed. Shinichi brought Kaito’s hand down, allowing him to kiss pale knuckles now that he had his lover’s rapt attention. “The woman it belonged to wore for decades, never knowing the misfortune of death or loss herself until she saw her husband's reincarnated form. At that point, she could die happy seeing him one last time.”

Blue eyes gazed into star-struck indigo.

“You and I are like that story, never letting go of each other through thick and thin, always pulling each other from the maws of death. That’s why, I want to continue being partners, from now until our luck finally turns and we meet death like an old friend.”

“...”

“...”

“Shinichi?”

“Yes, Kaito?”

“You just proposed to me with Pandora.”

“Haha, good one, Kaito.”

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Wait, you’re serious?!”

“This lady you bought it from. She died recently?”

“Yeah, her name was Irene.”

“Do you know how she died?”

“She went to a KID heist. The way I hear it, she swooned when she saw Hakuba.”

“Holmes nerd, huh? Um… Shinichi? That's a scary look on your face.”

_“Why didn't I see it before?! Irene? A man she loved? Hakuba is Sherlock Holmes reincarnated!”_

“Whoa, calm down there, Shinichi. I’m the one who's supposed to believe in magic.”

Shinichi blinked and refocused on Kaito, “... So that’s still a yes, right? Finding Pandora or figuring out Hakuba is Holmes didn’t just crush the mood, right?”

“Yes, Shinichi. It’s still a yes. I’ll marry you, crazy detective deductions and all.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said, no idea about the Holmes thing, BUT! The first thing that came up when I did a Google search on 'moonstone' was a ring, with a gem, and the name Pandora in the image. 
> 
> I could not help myself. :D


	20. Wonderland Version A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fanfic.
> 
> Prompt: SC2012- Oo and an Alice in wonderland AU
> 
> PS - Wish granted! ... Twice. ;)

Shinichi was enjoying a lovely afternoon in the garden with his favorite book – _A Study in Scarlett_ , when a white blur ran past him.

“I’m late! I’m late! I’m late!” the blur cried as it ran off.

Shinichi blinked after it and wondered if he should follow… but he was just getting to the good part where Sherlock Holmes was making his deduction, so…

Eh, white blurs can wait. He had _Holmes_ to read.

Just as he turned his attention back to his book, a shadow fell over him. “Ahem.”

Shinichi looked up to find… a rabbit? A man? A rabbit man?

It looked humanoid, with pale features and blonde hair denoting a ‘foreigner’ status. The man was sharply dressed in a tailored waistcoat, straight tie down to shined shoes. The only thing that was tripping Shinichi up… was the set of ears on the blonde’s head – _rabbit_ ears.

“Ahem,” the man cleared his throat again, giving Shinichi an impatient look.

“Weren’t you running late?” Shinichi asked, pretty sure this man was the blur he had seen.

The man scoffed. “The very idea of my being late is preposterous. My pocket watch is correct down to the millisecond. I only said such words because it is what the script dictate I do.”

“… Okay?” Shinichi looked back to his book.

“Okay? That’s it?” the man looked ruffled. “You’re supposed to get up and follow me!”

“But it’s getting to the good part!” Shinichi complained. “Holmes is just about to make his deduction!”

“I don’t care if it’s getting to the good part! The script says-!” the man stopped, cocking his head to the side. His ears twitched in excitement. “Did you say Holmes?”

Shinichi blinked. “… yes?”

“Scoot over,” the rabbit man ordered as he sank to the ground beside Shinichi. “Which one are we reading?”

“ _A Study in Scarlett_ , English version,” Shinichi answered, sliding the book so that it was between them, “Do you want me to start at the beginning?”

“I’ve read it many a time before,” the rabbit man said, his ears twitching in indecision, “but it is always best from the beginning.”

Shinichi grinned and flipped back to the first page.

*             *             *             *             *

Book finished, the rabbit man had jumped to his feet, yelling about how he was _actually_ late now and ran off. Deciding to follow the script, Shinichi placed his book aside and got up to wander after the rabbit man.

After a wonky rabbit hole, a talking doorknob that loved pachinko a little too much and a few questionable snacks and beverages, Shinichi found himself in a strange looking forest.

Shinichi looked away from the path for one second and when he turned back, a new person had appeared. The person looked strangely like himself, only clad in varying pink and purple stripes with a broad, Cheshire grin on his face. The boy pulled out a stack of papers and folded them over to a specific page.

“Welcome, Alice, to Wonder…” the boy paused, his ears twitching. He looked between Shinichi and his supposed script several times. “You’re not Alice.”

“No, I suppose I’m not,” Shinichi agreed.

The boy looked between him and the papers a few more times before tossing the pages aside. “That’s okay. I think I like you better.”

Shinichi blinked. “What?”

The boy’s Cheshire grin grew, showing all his teeth.

*             *             *             *             *

“Welcome to Tea ti-?” The dark-skinned boy stopped in the middle of pouring tea into a cup. He looked, by far, the most normal of the bunch, disregarding the mouse girl that nibbled on cakes beside him. The boy brushed off his hat –a baseball cap turned backwards –and regarded Shinichi with concern. “What happened to you?”

Shinichi looked down at his disheveled state and subconsciously put a hand on his neck to hide the red marks. The blue flower girl (who only spoke in third person) had made fun of him enough. He didn’t need it from this guy. “Um… I met a cat boy?”

“Oh, Kaito,” the guy looked unimpressed. “Yeah, he’s a bit of a flirt.”

Shinichi looked down at himself again. “A _bit?_ ”

“Okay, _a lot_ ,” the boy reiterated, his Osakan accent coming through thicker. “Just head to the Queens of Heart. Ran should fix you right up.”

“… Isn’t it Queen of Hearts?”

“I know what I said.”

*             *             *             *             *

Shinichi recognized Ran immediately, despite the poufy frou-frou dress.

“Shinichi!” the girl ran at him, throwing her arms around him. “I’m so glad you made it!”

“You’re _late_!” another girl with short brown hair growled. She was in a similar dress as Ran, but instead of green, hers was blue. “It’s a criminal offense to keep a lady waiting! Off with his head!”

“Oh, but he came, didn’t he?” Ran asked, looking back at her friend with a bright smile. “Surely you can forgive him, Sonoko? I already have.”

“Not when he’s looking like something the _cat_ dragged in!” Sonoko huffed, eyes taking in Shinichi’s disheveled appearance. “I think he cheated on you, Ran.”

Ran finally noticed his appearance as well. Her eyes grew tearful. “But… you were only in Wonderland for an hour! How could you, Shinichi?!”

Sonoko grinned evilly, but a pale hand appeared at her shoulder, bidding her wait.

“I do not think a simple beheading is enough,” a third woman appeared, one Shinichi didn’t recognize. Her gown was a bright, flowing red, matching the dark sheen of her hair like roses and blood. She had a long staff in her right hand.

“Akako…” Ran started, sniffling before hiding in Sonoko’s shoulder. Sonoko shot Shinichi a disappointed look.

“Instead of losing your head, we will make your entire existence a living nightmare,” the Queen –the _witch_ stated, picking up her staff. “You will shrink to the size of a child! You will have knowledge beyond words and wisdom beyond belief, but no adult will ever heed you. You will forever be bond to play second fiddle to another, constantly made to give up your fame and pleasure for some humility!”

“Nooo!” Shinichi yelled, horrified as he watched his hands shrink before his eyes. “NOOOO!”

He jerked awake, head hitting the ground as he fell over.

“It was a dream?” Shinichi looked down at himself, no longer disheveled. His hands were as big as they had always been, nice and adult-like. “Just a dream.”

“Shi~ni~chi~!” a call came from above. Shinichi looked up into the face of a grinning Kaito. “Did you fall asleep out here?”

Shinichi screamed and ran inside.

Kaito blinked after him. “What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I read this prompt and immediately thought of two things: the summaries of each respective Version. Then I wrote. :) Hope you enjoy the next one!


	21. Wonderland Version B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fanfic.
> 
> Prompt: SC2012- Oo and an Alice in wonderland AU
> 
> PS - Wish granted! ... Twice. ;)

“Whatcha _do_ in’?” a voice startled Shinichi from his book. He blinked through the fog of deductions and mental pictures to find two eyes staring at him. Blue eyes and a button nose, messy hair that framed his face.

It was a man, dressed to the nines in a tailored suit, white shirt, black pants, and black jacket. Two tall, white… _ears_ stood out at forty-five degree angles from his head, twitching occasionally.

“Huh?” Shinichi said oh-so-eloquently.

“Looks pretty interesting,” the man said, stealing Shinichi’s book from his hands.

“Hey!”

“Ugh, _Holmes_?” the other teen wrinkled his nose. “Of course, you would be into that.”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Shinichi asked, affronted.

“It’s okay, though,” the man said, ignoring Shinichi’s protests. “You’re cute.”

“Um… thanks?”

“I think I’ll take you with me!”

“Wait, what?” Shinichi blinked and found himself bound by surprisingly soft rope. Soft though it was, it didn’t budge no matter how much Shinichi struggled. “Hey! Untie me right now!”

“One, two-!” the rabbit man hefted Shinichi over his shoulder and took off running.

“Put me down!” Shinichi ordered. “Hey!”

His eyes widened when he spotted the rabbit hole.  He started struggling harder, muttering, “No, no no nononono!”

“Stop squirming or I’ll drop-!”

The rabbit man dropped him down the rabbit hole.

Shinichi hit his head.

The world went black.

*             *             *             *             *

Shinichi woke up to sunbeams blinding him as they peaked from behind leaves at the tops of a tree.

Trees.

As in _more than one_.

Shinichi only had one tree in his backyard and he lived nowhere _near_ a forest. This should not be possi-!

The wind blew.

Shinichi felt it between his thighs.

With a yelp, he sat up, snapping his knees together and shoving his hands into his lap. His eyes widened at the sight of his clothes.

Poufy blue dress, frilly edge, pure white apron and striped stockings… He was wearing a dress. Shinichi was wearing a _dress_.

 _Why_ was he in a dress?

“Oh boy, I thought you’d never wake up!” a voice from overhead called down to him. Shinichi flinched at looked up. It was that boy, the rabbit one from earlier that had kidnapped him, except… it wasn’t?

This boy was dressed in what looked like pink and purple striped pajamas. On his head, a pair of cat ears twitched and when he grinned it looked just a little too big – _Cheshire_ in effect.

“I thought you were going to sleep _forever_!” the boy said, turning over onto his side –and Shinichi realized with a start that he wasn’t laying _on_ a tree branch, he was hovering _over_ it. Obviously there were wires or something, Shinichi was _sure_ -!

“Hello? Hey!” the boy called down, drifting lower with concern. “You are awake, right? Because, to be honest, it would be really creepy if you were sleep-walking… or sleep-staring? Whatever. It’s creepy.”

“Who are you?” Shinichi blurted out. “Where am I? Why are you a cat? Weren’t you a rabbit? _Why am I in a dress!?”_

“I am Cheshire Kaito,” the boy answered as a fluffy tail curled around his hip. “You are in Wonderland. I have _always_ be a cat, loud and proud! The rabbit before was probably White Kaito. He likes to take people, like you, on a tour of Wonderland. As for the dress…” the boy, Kaito, shrugged. “Eh, his personal tastes. I think you would _dashing_ in a three-piece suit myself.”

Shinichi blushed as he scrambled to his feet. “You said a tour. Where is he? That… White Kaito?”

“Oh,” Cheshire Kaito did a back bend over Shinichi’s head to look him in the eyes. “Well, it turns out, he was late for a meeting with the King. _Fashionably late_ , but late none-the-less. The King gets upset when people are late you know.”

“The King?” Shinichi asked.

“Of Clovers, yes. Please keep up.” Cheshire Kaito turned and curled around Shinichi’s shoulders. “Speaking of, the King is expecting you, Shin-chan. He won’t be happy if _you_ are late.”

“The King? Expecting _me_?” Shinichi’s stomach dropped. “What happens if I’m late?”

“He’ll take your head as compensation I imagine,” Cheshire Kaito picked at something in his teeth. “So you might want to get on that.”

“W- _What_?!” Shinichi’s hands went to his neck. “I need to get there _now_! Which way is this King?”

Cheshire Kaito stared at Shinichi before letting out a loud groan. “I don’t _wanna_ go! Go find someone else to take you!”

“What? Wait! Who else do I-?!”

“Follow the path,” Cheshire Kaito said with a yawn. His body slowly started to fade from existence. “You should find the Hatter just in time for tea.”

Then he winked out of sight.

Shinichi looked around for the wires and tricks, but he could find none. Instead of wasting time looking, he started off. It wouldn’t do to be late, after all.

*             *             *             *             *

Shinichi found the ‘Hatter’ that Cheshire Kaito spoke of… only, it was another Kaito. This one dressed in a pure white suit with a stately top hat and monocle. He sat at the head of a table littered with tea cups and kettles. He and another Kaito, one that looked _strikingly_ like the White Kaito, were dancing on a table together when Shinichi happened upon them.

As soon as they spotted him, Shinichi was dragged into their dance.

“Have a very merry Unbirthday!” Hatter Kaito cheered as he poured Shinichi a cup of tea. It tasted like alcohol.

“It’s not my birthday,” Shinichi objected.

“Exactly!” Hare Kaito toasted him overenthusiastically. His cup sloshed over into Shinichi’s. “What’s so good about celebrating Birthdays when you can celebrate _Un_ birthdays?!”

“I don’t follow,” Shinichi sighed, despondent. “Cheshire Kaito said that I could come to you to…?”

“Have a party?” Hatter Kaito finished with a bright grin. “Of course! And you even dressed up!”

Shinichi blushed bright red. “No! It wasn’t me! It was White Kaito!”

“Oh, quite forward, isn’t he?” Hare Kaito asked, looking Shinichi over in a way that made Shinichi’s blush deepen and crawl down his neck. “I have to say, he has quite good tastes.”

“What? No, he doesn’t!” Hatter Kaito slammed his tea cup down. “He didn’t even give Shin-chan a hat! A tiara! Or even _hairclips_!”

“Hatter Kaito has a thing about hats,” Hare Kaito whispered to Shinichi. “And headbands… and hairclips… basically _anything_ that can be worn on the head.”

“Please, you two!” Shinichi set his cup down. “I am late for a meeting with the King!”

Both of them gasped comically, hands going to their cheeks.

“Being late is bad!” Hare Kaito stage-whispered.

“Well, not when you’re _fashionably late_ ,” Hatter Kaito whispered back, “but late for the _King_? Tsk-tsk!”

“I’m not trying to be!” Shinichi protested emphatically. “But I don’t know how to get there!”

Hare Kaito gave him a curious look. “Didn’t White Kaito give you the tour?”

“No,” Shinichi dragged a hand down his face. “He was also _late_ to see the King.”

Both Hatter Kaito and Hare Kaito stared at him.

“ _Fashionably late_ ,” Shinichi corrected.

“Now _that_ sounds like White Kaito,” Hatter Kaito nodded to himself and to Hare Kaito and to Shinichi. “Okay! I know the way to the castle!”

“Great!” Shinichi said, getting up from the chair he had been forced into. “Then let’s get go-!”

“But I don’t want to go,” Hatter Kaito continued. “Not until I’ve eaten my Unbirthday cake.”

Shinichi looked to where Hatter Kaito gesture to a _giant_ , _seventy-tiered_ chocolate cake. The sheer _size_ of the thing cast shadows over Shinichi.

He’s pretty sure it would _kill_ Hatter Kaito before the other ever finished.

“But I need to go now!” Shinichi protested. “I don’t know how long it will take me and I’m already late!”

“You’re in luck!” Hare Kaito clapped his hands as Hatter Kaito swan-dived into the cake. “You’re already half-way there!”

Shinichi gaped. “I am?”

“Yup!” Hare Kaito beamed. “Just follow that path there and you should get there in about five.”

“… five what?” Shinichi asked. He looked back, but the Hare Kaito had already followed Hatter Kaito into the massive chocolate cake. “Five _what_?!”

No answer and Shinichi really didn’t have time to stick around for them to finish off their cake. So he started off.

*             *             *             *             *

Roughly twenty-four minutes later (how was that five _anything_?!), Shinichi arrived at the castle.

“You’re late,” a voice called from the top of a really long set of stairs. Shinichi let his eyes follow the staircase up to… _another_ Kaito –this one dressed in medieval style clothes, complete with a Crown on his head and sword hilt at his hip. “But I supposed I can exact my punishment later, in light of-!”

“Are there _only_ Kaitos here?!” Shinichi blurted out in exasperation before he could stop himself.

The King –King _Kaito_ –blinked and started down the stairs. “Of course there are only Kaitos.”

“Of course?” Shinichi jerked, taken aback. “What do you mean ‘of course’?”

“Well, when the last ruler, the Queen of Hearts, reigned, she held the kingdom bound to her by a powerful curse. None were able to disobey her, none except me,” King Kaito said as he reached the bottom of the stairs. “So, naturally, I cloned myself, led a revolt against her, freed the people, and sent the Queen into exile.”

“What happened to the people?”

“The curse was strong. They decided they liked the Queen better than me and went after her,” King Kaito shrugged. “Last I heard, they were building altars to her beauty somewhere in the West.”

“… Huh,” Shinichi clicked his tongue. The whole thing sounded… calm and oddly anti-climactic.

“Now that you have been briefed on our history, let us be off!” King Kaito said, taking Shinichi’s hand in his.

“Off?” Shinichi struggled. “Off where?”

Kaito looked back at him. “They didn’t tell you?”

“They? Tell me what?” Shinichi asked, looking to where Kaito still held his hand. Then he realized that his sleeves had changed, _his dress_ had changed. It used to be a frilly blue thing, but now it was a frilly _white_ thing. A cloud of gauze drifted into his eyes, attached to the veil headband in his hair. “Wait, what’s going on?!”

“Well, this is awkward,” King Kaito coughed. “White was supposed to tell you.”

“Hey! You called me for a meeting!” White Kaito objected, popping up at Shinichi’s elbow. “I told Cheshire to do it!”

“I was too lazy!” the cat said, laying on his back above them. “I was sure that Hatter would tell him since I _know_ he got his notice this morning.”

“I was going to!” Hatter complained, coming up behind Shinichi. Both he and Hare were covered head to toe in chocolate. “But Shin-chan – _great veil by the way. Love the look_ –ran off before I could tell him!”

All eyes turned to Hare.

Hare shrugged. “I didn’t know. I don’t read those things. You all know that.”

“Can someone _please_ tell me what’s going on?!” Shinichi begged.

“Why, we’re getting married, of course,” King Kaito smiled at him with such happiness that Shinichi felt his heart speed up.

“You and me?” Shinichi squeaked. “ _Married_?”

“Well, you and I…” King pointed to White, “And him,” then to Cheshire, “and him,” then to Hatter and Hare, “and those two.”

“I… getting married…” Shinichi paled, “to _all of you_?!”

“Of course,” King frowned at him. “It makes sense doesn’t it?”

“How so?!”

“Well, we can’t marry each other,” White said, crossing his arms. “That would be _weird_.”

Shinichi was speechless.

“Now that we have our bride…” King clapped his hands. “Places everyone!”

The other ran off, leaving King with Shinichi at the bottom of the large staircase. Still shell-shocked, Shinichi didn’t react to King leaning down to his ear, not until his whispered words made their way into Shinichi’s brain.

“And later, during our first night as husband and wife, I will be taking you ‘head’ in compensation,” Kaito snickered. “Though, if you want to go first. I won’t mind.”

“Nooo!” Shinichi yelled, horrified as King dragged him up the staircase. “NOOOO!”

He jerked awake, head hitting the ground as he fell over.

“It was a dream?” Shinichi looked down at himself, no longer dressed in white or wearing a veil or – _anything_. “Just a dream.”

“Shi~ni~chi~!” a call came from above. Shinichi looked up into the face of a grinning Kaito. “Did you fall asleep out here?”

Shinichi screamed and ran inside.

Kaito blinked after him. “What?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yup, I feel accomplished. :) 
> 
> Be on the look-out for an update to Writer's AU this weekend! :D


	22. Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
> PS - Really, the things I hear at work...
> 
> I'm not sure where my head was when I wrote this. All I know was that it was *really* late at night after a *really* weird day at work.
> 
> Also, Google Docs changed all of my 'Hattori' to 'Hattori's' for some reason, so if I missed one, please let me know.

“Hey, Hattori! You got a gender-bender I can use?”

Shinichi blinked and actually _looked up_ from his book, because… there were three things wrong with this scene.

1) Kaito didn't need any help to dress up like a girl, especially not Hattori’s help.

2) They were in the _library_. Kaito was a sociable person. He _knew_ the ins and outs of decorum that even _Shinichi_ failed to grasp. A public place like this was the _last_ place to ask for something so… candidly.

3) Was Hattori's answer.

“Sure, you need a spit-roaster or a snake dong?” the Osakan asked without looking up.

Shinichi choked and died a little inside. Neither of the two seemed to notice.

“Hmm… I got two males, so… spit-roaster.”

He had two _what_?!

“How’d you end up with two?” Hattori asked as he bent to grab his back pack. He shoved on hand in to start digging around.

“I thought I wrote down the kind I needed, but I wrote down the kind I _had_.”

What?

“So you're fixing your problem, not by returning the one you bought, but by bumming a gender-bender off your friends.”

What was going on?

“Sue me, I'm lazy.”

“Won't sue you, but I’ll take a twenty.”

Prostitution? Right in front of Shinichi’s eyes?!

“Hey, Kuroba-kun!” Sera piped up from the other side of Shinichi. “Did you figure out problem 8 in the digital homework?”

“Oh, yeah! I found a function that made it _way_ easy,” Kaito leaned over her shoulder as Hattori continued to dig through his bag. “Here, try this.”

She squinted at what he typed in. “Cumtrapz?”

“Oh yeah,” Kaito nodded. “It catches all of it for you and gives you one big output.”

Shinichi was done. He couldn't handle anymore. Without a word, he grabbed his things and ran for the front door, face ablaze.

Hattori and Sera stared after him, and Kaito looked on with a smug grin.

“Damn, you’re right, Kuroba,” Sera raised an eyebrow. “The boy’s mind is a gutter. You wouldn't think it with how innocent he looks, but he is _anything_ but amorphous.”

“I think you mean asexual,” Kaito frowned.

“Not, like an amoeba,” Sera clarified. “Amorphous reproduction.”

“... _Asexual_ reproduction.”

Sera frowned at him. “You're joshing me.”

“Think we went too hard on him?” Hattori asked as he finally pulled a connector converter from his bag. They were standards in his and Sera’s motorbikes –and apparently Kuroba’s as well.

“It’s his own fault for getting worked up,” Kaito handed over a twenty.

“Still, coming up with 'cumtrapz’, I think you were pushing it,” Hattori raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a legit function in our software,” Sera turned her laptop around.

Hattori blinked at the screen, jaw dropping.

“ _Cumulative trapezoidal_ ,” Kaito recited with a grin. “Pronounced 'cue-m-trap-z’. It's an integration method that worked best for the problem Jodie-sensei gave us.”

“No shit,” Hattori cocked his head to the side.

Kaito looked to the doors to the library and sighed. “I better go after him. It won't do for him to get too riled up…”

“And for you to miss the party?” Sera’s grin was _savage_.

Kaito’s wink was equally so.

Hattori groaned and buried his face in his arms. “How am I friends with you two?”

“Because you love us!” Sera grinned.

“And we have enough blackmail to keep you from running away,” Kaito added.

Right.

That.

“See you later!” Kaito waved as Sera turned her laptop back around in order to continue work.

From his spot in the neat if his arms, Hattori heard. “I still think it's ‘amorphous’.”

He looked up and squinted at her poorly hidden smirk. “You're messing with me, aren't you?”

She grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Snake-dong' and 'spit-roaster' are not from work. My coworkers are not that bad... but the 'gender-bender' is what one of them called the socket converter. The 'cumtrapz' is something from a common software I used for math back in school.


	23. Gender-Bender but Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events in this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> Prompt: Gender-Bender (forgot by who)
> 
> PS- So... I'm not a fan of Gender-benders because, it doesn't really change the scenario or characters? Sure, it makes the sex scenes a lot different, but... I don't write sex scenes? Or anything close to it where the difference between male and female parts become a huge difference? So there's really no point for me to write a gender-bender of any sort. Kaito and Shinichi will act the same whether they are guys or girls. :/
> 
> That being said, if you wanted to see some Cross-dressing!Kaito... well, you can get that pretty much anywhere. He likes to feel pretty, I think. But here's a funny oneshot anyway!

Kaito threw himself onto the couch next to Shinichi. Shinichi merely lifted his book to allow the other to nestle his head into his lap and kept reading. Finishing the page, Shinichi asked “So, how was your day?”

“I firmly believe that high heels are commercialized torture devices.”

Shinichi blinked and tilted his book away to look down at his boyfriend. “… Why are you even _wearing_ them?”

“You told me your parents were coming home two weeks from now,” Kaito said, as if that was an answer.

“Yeah? I told you on Saturday,” Shinichi frowned. “And if I recall correctly, you yelled at me because ‘I didn’t give you enough notice’ and then ran out of the house.”

“Of course I did!” Kaito huffed, crossing his arms and elbowing Shinichi in the hip in the process. “I needed to get these!”

“… That doesn’t explain _why_ though.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Kaito wiggled his toes in the strappy death-traps. “I’m going to dress up as a girl for your parents!”

“… But _why_?” Shinichi closed his book around his index finger, giving Kaito his attention. “I already told my parents that I’m dating a guy. They’ve seen pictures of you.”

“That just makes it better!” Kaito popped his hands up like ‘ta-dah!’, smile wide. “Then they’ll be _expecting_ me to be a guy!”

Shinichi groaned and massaged the bridge of his nose. “I don’t understand you.”

“Don’t worry about it!” Kaito reached up to pet at his boyfriend’s face. “Just don’t tell them that I’m doing anything, yeah? It’ll be a fun surprise!”

Shinichi remembered that time when his own parents had kidnapped him in the name of a ‘surprise’. He was struck with the sudden realization that he was never going to get away from it. Kaito was _just_ like Shinichi’s parents –right down to the nearly flawless disguises.

“Now, get your shoes on!” Kaito ordered as he got to his feet. “We need to update my wardrobe. All I have are disguises like Aoko. I am _not_ going to be Aoko for your parents.”

Shinichi wanted to say that Kaito was already _like_ Nakamori-chan, but he wisely held his tongue.

*             *             *             *             *

“I take it back. _Headbands_ are commercialized torture devices.” This was the latest comment Kaito made about various feminine details he wanted to perfect.

Shinichi gave the same response as he always did. “… Why are you wearing one?”

Kaito huffed and put his hands on his hips, a very feminine action –or at least, the way Kaito did it was.

“Shin-chan!” Kaito whined. “We went over this already! I have to be a perfect girl in front of your parents!”

“But _why_?” Shinichi asked for the umpteenth time in the last week. The deadline was down to seven days and Kaito was freaking out over minute details like headbands and lip gloss. Shinichi knew far more about feminine beauty products that he had _ever_ wanted to know.

“Shinichi…” Kaito whined.

“What does it matter if my parents see you as a boy or a girl?” Shinichi asked, frowning in hurt. “Are you ashamed? Have I made you feel that way? Do you… not want…?”

“No! No! No!” Kaito waved his hands in denial. “It’s nothing to do with you!”

“Then what?” Shinichi asked, brow furrowing.

“It’s…” Kaito fiddle with the hem of his shirt. “Your mom’s a really famous actress, yeah?”

“She was,” Shinichi nodded, remembering his mom’s movies that she’d forced him to watch. “She’s retired now, though.”

“And your dad’s a famous author,” Kaito listed off, as if not hearing Shinichi’s comment.

“Again, yes. He is,” Shinichi raised an eyebrow. “Are you going somewhere with this?”

“I just… I don’t know,” Kaito scratched at the back of his neck. “I want to impress them?”

Shinichi blinked. “Let me get this straight. You want to impress them by dressing up as a member of the opposite gender, because they are famous?”

“Well, when you say it like _that,_ it sounds stupid!” Kaito huffed, crossing his arms. The bangles on his wrist jingled. “I want to impress them by making up a believable character and _staying in character_ while in front of them. It’s a bonus if I actually pull one over them, what with your father being a smarter detective than you.”

“He is _not_ a better detective than me!” Shinichi protested. “He cheats, okay?!”

“Still,” Kaito smiled brightly, “don’t you want to see him look all lost and confused over the fact that I’m a girl when you said I was a boy?”

“I… guess…” Though Shinichi highly doubted his father would miss something like that. If nothing else, his mom would clue in her husband. Shinichi sighed. “Just… don’t be upset if they don’t fall for it?”

“Upset? Shinichi, do you have no faith in me?” Kaito pouted. “You know _exactly_ how good my disguises are!”

“And I have figured you out every time,” Shinichi deadpanned. “Haven’t you ever wondered why that is?”

“You’re a party-pooper,” Kaito declared, turning away to mess with a long-haired wig. “I won’t talk to party-poopers! Come back when you want to have some fun!”

Shinichi sighed and rolled his eyes, but left Kaito to it. After all, he had a certain call to make in order to surprise his magician.

*             *             *             *             *

When the doorbell rang, it was Kaito who opened the door with a bubbly, “Welcome!”

Yuusaku and Yukiko Kudou blinked at him –or rather, _her_ , as Kaito had already slipped into the persona of Aizawa Hinata, cheerful down-to-earth girl whose dream it was to make it big on the movie scene one day. As such, she was always up-to-date on the latest fashion, which explained the tempting mini-skirt, knee-high boots and crop-jacket/tank-top combo Kaito had eventually decided on for his first costume.

Kaito was pretty proud of himself, not going to lie.

“Um…” Yuusaku coughed, his voice raspy like he had a cold or something. “This is… the Kudou house, correct?”

“Yes, yes!” ‘Hinata’ confirmed with a bright grin. “Come in, come in! Shin-chan is just inside!”

“Shin… chan?” Yuusaku echoed, perplexed even as his wife took the invite and slipped off her shoes at the doorway.

“It’s good to see you guys again,” Shinichi said as he came in from the hallway. He shook his mom’s hand and gave his dad a strange side-hug. When he’d finished his greeting, he pulled back to stand next to ‘Hinata’. “How was your trip?”

“Good,” Yukiko answered, that same raspy quality to her voice. Maybe the two had gotten sick together? It wouldn’t be a surprise. Kaito got sick from Shinichi all the time.

“Shin-ch…” Yuusaku coughed. “Shinichi, I… thought you said we were meeting your boyfriend.”

‘Hinata’ gasped and turned on Shinichi. “Is that what you told them? Shin-chan is so mean! Just because I act boy-ish sometimes!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Shinichi rubbed the back of his head. “Let me introduce you.”

Shinichi put an arm around ‘Hinata’s’ waist and turned them both to his parents. Kaito made sure to slouch slightly so that he was shorter than Shinichi. After all, the average girl wasn’t taller than her male counterpart.

“Mom, dad,” Shinichi looked to both of them. “This is Kaito.”

“ _Hinata_!” ‘Hinata’ corrected. “Steal a french fry _one time_.”

“More than once,” Shinichi argued calmly, but continued before ‘Hinata’ could protest. “I think I’ve sent you pictures before?”

“Yes, you did…” Yukiko replied. “But didn’t… Hinata… have short hair?”

“Oh!” ‘Hinata’ hid her face in her hands. “That was so embarrassing! I got some gum stuck in my hair and I had to cut it all off! I only _just_ managed to grow it back out. Shin-chan is so mean! Sending those pictures out! What if my agent finds one?”

Shinichi let out a sigh and rolled his eyes. “Your non-existent agent.”

There was a gasp of outrage, but it was _not_ from ‘Hinata’.

“Shini-! Shin-chan!” Yukiko started in that no-nonsense tone of hers. “How could you?! What a horrible thing to say!”

Kaito suddenly remembered that Yukiko had been an actress once and probably knew the hard life of finding an agent and working her way to the top. This would surely play in his favor.

“Isn’t it?” ‘Hinata’ choked up, fake tears coming to her eyes. “I try so hard, but all he ever does is put me down! It’s like he doesn’t know how hard it is!”

“Oh, poor girl!” Yukiko grasped ‘Hinata’s’ hands in hers, the two fitting together evenly. “I understand! I do! Yuu-chan is so much the same! Shin-chan is just like his father!”

Shinichi and Yuusaku share a look.

“Is he?” ‘Hinata’ hiccupped. “Really?”

“Yes, he is! He is!” Yukiko nodded adamantly. “He ignores me constantly! He has to write his books and gets chased everywhere by his agents! And every time we go to a book meet, he lets some floozy hang all over him! I swear, he’s cheating on me with every woman he meets!”

‘Hinata’ gasped, wide-eyed with concern. “No! How could he!”

“Honey, I have never-!”

“And Shin-chan is just like him!” Yukiko continued fervently. “He plays with girls’ hearts and drops them when he’s grown bored! Have you spoken with Mouri Ran?”

“Hey! Don’t go putting ideas into-!”

“Isn’t she his childhood friend?” ‘Hinata’ frowned, wiping fake tears from her cheeks. “Don’t tell me. She…?”

Yukiko nodded seriously and turned a dark look onto Shinichi, one ‘Hinata’ mirrored.

“Honey, please don’t miss-lead the girl,” Yuusaku sighed heavily. “You’re blowing things out of proportion.”

Yukiko pulled away from ‘Hinata’ to cross her arms. “So you’re saying you’ve _never_ cheated on me? Never even _thought_ about it? Not _once_?”

“Of course I haven’t. Not a one of those ‘floozies’ could stand up to your beauty,” Yuusaku scowled. “Which is why I don’t understand why you need to run half-way across the world with some made-up story, _just_ to get me to chase you. Wouldn’t it be easier to talk it out instead?”

“Sometimes a girl just wants to feel wanted,” Yukiko grumbled, a pout on her lips.

‘Hinata’ watched the back and forth, a little mystified. It… _looked_ like her plan worked?

“Okay, that’s enough of that,” Shinichi said, tone familiar. It was the same tone that he used before he revealed one of Kaito’s tricks. But no! Shinichi promised! “You’ve had your fun, you two. Time to switch back.”

Wait, what?

“Oh, thank the heavens!” Yukiko said, her voice suddenly dropping octaves. Her hands went to her chest, fondling her boobs. “These things are _heavy_! I don’t understand how you handle walking around with them all day!”

What?

“Same to you!” Yuusaku said, his voice _rising_ octaves. He plucked at his mustache, slowly peeling it off, “This thing is so itchy! How do you put up with it!?”

_What?_

“I do it for you,” Yukiko looked over with a sly look, “because you said you liked a man with a little hair.”

“And I do,” Yuusaku returned the look. He pressed himself up against Yukiko’s back. “So why don’t you take off that mask and give me a little smooch?”

No, seriously, _what?!_

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kai-chan!” Yuus –no, Yukiko said, enveloping ‘Hinata’ in a warm hug. It was then that Kaito noticed that ‘Yuusaku’ was several inches shorter, something he had _not_ noticed when Shinichi had hugged the other.

Because Shinichi has slouched, just like Kaito had, to emphasize a difference in height.

“Your acting is quite good and your improvision is Grade-A work,” Yuki –no, Yuusaku offered a hand as he took a step up from the entryway, putting himself slightly above Kaito’s height. And when, dumbly, Kaito shook his hand, he could have smacked himself.

Their hands were the same size.  When his hands had been grabbed before, Yukiko’s hand would have been smaller than his, not the same.

“I almost bought the whole thing!” Yukiko clapped her hands and leaned forward to wipe a finger under Kaito’s eye. “If not for the crying.”

“Why…” Kaito cleared his throat, dropping back into his normal tenor. “Why was _that_ what gave it away?”

“Actresses who wear makeup know not to cry,” Yukiko said, showing him a black smudge. “Or if they do, they know to dab at their eyes to keep the mascara from smearing.”

Ah, yeah. Kaito forgot about that. He should have invested in water-proof makeup.

“Okay, but why…” he pointed to the two of them, “are _you_ dressed up?”

“They always do something like this when they come home,” Shinichi explained. “I just called them ahead of time to ask if they could go as each other.”

“It was so much fun!” Yukiko beamed at her husband.

“Speak for yourself,” Yuusaku rubbed at his calves. “Those shoes were _killing_ me. I swear, they are _torture devices_!”

Kaito scowled at Shinichi. “I thought you said you wouldn’t tell them!”

“I didn’t,” Shinichi shrugged.

“We guessed on our own,” Yuusaku agreed.

“It’s hard not to notice when we’ve had similar mentors,” Yukiko added.

“Similar mentors?” Kaito cocked his head to the side.

“Kuroba Toichi,” Yukiko’s smile turned slightly sad. “He was the one to teach me how to disguise myself for my acting.”

Kaito’s breath caught in his throat.

“Toichi-san was a very close friend,” Yuusaku put a hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “You’re a lot like him.”

Kaito had to struggle to hold back real tears at that. He hadn’t had the chance to grow up with his father, didn’t know if he’d become a man his pops could be proud of. If his father’s friend said something like that though, who was Kaito to disagree?

“Now,” Yukiko put her hands on her hips, “are we going to stand around in the entry way or do we get a tour of the house?”

“Right this way!” Kaito said, recovering quickly and leading Yukiko around by the hand, eager to show off his and Shinichi’s home.

Yuusaku hung back with Shinichi. He tugged off the long-haired wig and watched after the two with a smile mirrored by his son.

“You know, she wasn’t wrong,” Yuusaku said, “You and I are a lot alike.”

“Yeah, we’re detectives,” Shinichi rolled his eyes, “It’s a given.”

“More than that,” Yuusaku grinned when Shinichi made a questioning sound. “We have a similar type –dramatic actors who want the world but somehow settle for us.”

Shinichi didn’t voice it, but he couldn’t help but agree.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am hoping that I don't offend anyone with this fic, but I don't really see the point of gender-bender fics. :/ Just saying. 
> 
> Another update for Writer's AU this weekend and then another hiatus. Yes, I know: "why another one?"   
> Truth is, I've got a stockpile, but it's 36 pages of half-written ideas. It's kind of hard to finish those ideas when I am editing and fixing up stories throughout the week and weekend. Also, I've got two vacations coming up (which use up about all my vacation time so far, but what can you do?) and I'm not sure I'll have internet access. But I'll be sure to come back with some really neat stuff and a couple new series! :) And Hopefully a continuation of the SGN series. ;) We'll see.


	24. Fake-Dating... or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the events and ideas of this fic.
> 
> PS - I decided on Monday. Who could tell, right?
> 
> Any-hoo, another short hiatus to do some more writing and prompt fills. :) I have an idea for a series, but I am trying to decide whether it will be an actual series or if I'll just throw it into the (See You) Next Illusion collection. Eh, I guess we'll just have to see. :)

Shinichi hated this.

‘This’ being a setup.

Ran had said she just wanted to have a nice afternoon to catch up now that she’d finally forgiven him for the Conan thing and for breaking up with her (even though _she_ was the one to do the breaking up. Shinichi remembered this. He still had bruises on his shins to prove it.) Shinichi was just glad to have his friend back after so long, so he didn’t question the sudden invite.

He really should have.

Ran didn’t arrive alone. Sonoko was with her and where Sonoko went, drama was sure to follow.

“Shinichi,” Sonoko addressed him as she leaned intimidatingly over the table. “Ran told me you aren’t seeing anyone.”

Shinichi drew back from her. “I’m… not?”

Sonoko raised an eyebrow. “Is that a question?”

“Um… no?”

Sonoko narrowed her eyes. “Ran said that you aren’t dating anyone. She won’t feel okay with dating other people until _you_ are happily off with someone else. You see my problem here.”

Shinichi looked at Sonoko, then at Ran. Ran gave him a long-suffering stare and shrugged, like _what can you do?_ Shinichi turned back to Sonoko. “I don’t see how this is my fault.”

And he didn’t.

Ran was a strong, independent woman that didn’t need Shinichi’s permission to date whomever she found attractive. Shinichi’s inability to be polite company to the vast majority of the population played no part in her ability to draw men to her like moths to a flame. And honestly?

Shinichi is kind of insulted on her behalf that Sonoko would think otherwise.

Sonoko let out a dramatic and, quite frankly, over-exaggerated sigh –as if the very thought of putting up with Shinichi’s social ineptitude might actually kill her. “You don’t see. You _never_ see!”

“But I observe,” Shinichi pointed out. Hey, it was close enough to a Sherlock quote to get a little sassy in his opinion.

“Well, go _observe_ some nice ladies and let Ran get on with her life!” Sonoko threw her hands up, drawing attention from the café as a whole. “She can’t move on until she’s sure that you’re happy and not some sad sack moping in the corner.”

Shinichi does not _mope_ , thank you. “Ran can do whatever she wants. Can’t you, Ran?”

“Well…” Ran hesitated. Shinichi looked over at her, wide-eyed. She looked apologetic even as she continued to speak. “I would feel better knowing that someone is coming by to keep you from gathering dust in that big library of yours. Sometimes I feel like, if I weren’t around, you’d just waste away in there.”

Shinichi does not feel the need to tell her she’s right. Ran normally is.

“Right!” Sonoko agreed whole-heartedly. She jabbed a finger in Shinichi’s direction. “So _you_ need to get on with the moving on! And to do that, I have decided to appoint myself your official match-maker!”

Oh no.

Please, please no.

Think of something, Shinichi. Anything to stop the insanity!

“I already have a lover,” Shinichi said.

Anything _but that_.

“Oh, _really_?” Sonoko gave him a calculating stare. Ran just looked surprised, probably more than she should have. Wow, harsh. “What’s her name?”

“I don’t need to tell you,” Shinichi covered as he sipped at his drink. “I came here for a nice talk with Ran. Not the Inquisition.”

“Well, too bad,” Sonoko crossed her arms. “Because, unless I see them in person, I won’t believe it!”

Shinichi took another sip of his coffee, screaming internally.

“Call her up and make her come here,” Sonoko demanded. “I want to see her in person.”

“I’m not calling them,” Shinichi said, grabbing his phone to put it in his lap. Just in case. With Sonoko, he could never be too careful. “Besides, they’re probably in class.”

“We can wait,” Sonoko said, making herself more comfortable in the booth. Ran looked just as interested, probably because he’d never told her about any dating action going on.

Shinichi scowled at Sonoko. She scowled back.

“Fine,” Shinichi grumbled, opening a text to Hattori. “I’ll text them, but don’t get upset when they say they’re busy.”

 “Like I said,” Sonoko raised an eyebrow. “We’ll wait.”

_Hattori, help! I’ve been trapped by Sonoko and Ran in some sort of intervention!_

_Intervention? Of what kind?_

_Sonoko says that my stagnant dating life is preventing Ran from moving on._

_Oh, one of **those**._

_Yeah._

_You’re on your own._

Damn.

*             *             *             *             *

So they waited and waited… and waited and waited until the caffeine had hit Sonoko’s system and she found that a restroom break was required. So she and Ran went together as girls often do and Shinichi found himself alone for the first time in an hour.

Perfect.

He needed to make this quick if he wanted to be free of the two she-devils (no offense, Ran).

Granted, he could just run away and hope that Sonoko gives up on the whole endeavor, but from past experience, that was… Shinichi shuddered. That wasn’t an option, not in the least. No, he had to come up with a better plan.

Shinichi looked around for someone – _anyone_ –to play his lover. Someone good-looking and charming enough to put Sonoko off his trail. Even if they were an idiot and way below Shinichi’s standards, he could claim brief insanity and ‘break up’ later.

But now, he needed a body.

Not that girl, that guy was too buff, that was a female version of Hattori… _There_!

Male, his age, fairly attractive, nimble hands and ordering a drink from their non-caffeinated menu.

Shinichi rushed him. “ _You_!”

The man startled against the counter, nearly knocking over his cup. Curious indigo eyes flew wide as Shinichi approached. The man’s voice cracked as he answered. “M-me?”

“Do you want to make quick money?” Shinichi asked, deadly serious.

“... Money?” the man frowned at him. “Are you propositioning me?”

“Kind of?” Shinichi winced because he _knew_ that sounded bad. “Look, my friends are concerned that I don’t have a significant other and decided to ambush me instead of talking it out like _normal_ people. I just need you to play my lover for a few minutes –half an hour, _tops_. I’ll pay you a hundred dollars.”

As he spoke, the other man’s eyebrows crawled up his forehead. When Shinichi had finished, he took a thoughtful sip of his drink. He gave Shinichi and his fidget-tapping foot a slow once over. Then he took another sip.

“Look, are you in or not?” Shinichi demanded. “Because, if _not_ , I need to find someone else in the next-!”

“Okay, I’ll do it,” the man said. “What do I need to know?”

“My name is Kudou Shinichi, feel free to call me Shinichi,” Shinichi listed as he grabbed the other’s hand to tow him back to their table. “I am a detective. The two friends are Ran and Sonoko.”

Before he could get any further than that, the two ladies returned from the restroom.

Dang. Shinichi hadn’t even been able to sit back down, make it look like his lover had arrived like asked.

Sonoko stopped when they drew close, eyeing the newcomer with suspicion. Ran cocked her head to the side, curious. Sonoko crossed her arms with an impatient look. “And who, exactly, is this?”

“This is my boyfriend,” Shinichi said, words sounding weird in his mouth. A second too late, he realized that Sonoko might question his sudden change in sexual orientation.

She didn’t.

“An _actual_ boyfriend?” Sonoko raised an eyebrow. “Or someone you found in this cafe and paid off.”

“An actual boyfriend, thank you,” Shinichi said hotly.

“Oh really?” Sonoko scowled, then grinned widely. “What’s his name?”

Shinichi blinked. “What?”

“His name,” Sonoko pointed to the man who was calmly drinking from his cup at Shinichi’s side. “What. Is. It?”

Shinichi looked over at the man. The man smiled brightly at him. Shinichi looked over at Sonoko who looked smug, then over at Ran who just looked disappointed.

Shinichi felt his stomach twist.

Oh, sh-!

*             *             *             *             *

-it! This was hilarious!

And poor Tantei-kun looked so sad! He just wilted at the Suzuki girl’s question. Oh, this just made Kaito’s day!

After a few more seconds of squirming, he figured he should probably put the detective out of his misery. (Let it never be said that Kaito was mean to his detectives.)

“Apologies, but he doesn’t know my name,” Kaito said with a charming smile directed at the girls. Before Sonoko could grow any smugger, Kaito continued. “You see, we have a bet going on.”

“A bet?” Ran asked over Suzuki’s scoff.

“We date for however long it takes him to figure out my name,” Kaito smoothly covered. He eyed their gaping faces over his drink. “Should be easy for a detective, no?”

“How did you know he was a detective?” Suzuki demanded. “I bet he just told you to say that. Make it more believable.”

As he searched his brain for ‘Hakuba-like’ actions, Kaito took a sip of his hot chocolate. Finding a good plot to use, he swallowed and shrugged. “In a way, he did. First time we shook hands, he did that… thing, you know?”

“What thing?” Suzuki scowled, but Ran lit up.

“Ah! You mean the Holmes Handshake!” Ran beamed. “Shinichi told me about it once! That Holmes was able to deduce anyone’s occupation based on their hands!”

“Yes!” Kaito pointed to her before gripping Shinichi’s hand in a shake. “And when we shook, he said…?”

He looked over to his Tantei-kun questioningly. He’d set him up and everything. If Tantei-kun could just play along…

Shinichi stared down at their hands, mystified. “I don’t know.”

Kaito hung his head. “I was letting you reclaim your dignity, Shin-chan.”

Shinichi twitched and frowned. “Don’t call me that.”

“I’ve never seen Shinichi fail to deduce before!” Ran gasped in shock.

“That’s…” Sonoko frowned, her confidence shaken. She rested her cheek against the knuckles of her right hand. “That’s… unusual.”

Shinichi scowled at both as Kaito grinned and withdrew his hand. In the next moment, a rose sprouted from between his fingers. “Well, I do imagine he hasn’t shaken hands with a magician before. There are few of us now-a-days.”

“Magician?” Sonoko looked ecstatic. “Like Kaitou KID?!”

“KID _wishes_ he was as good as me!” Kaito laughed, because it wouldn’t do for Tantei-kun to become too suspicious. But then, because Kaito liked to toot his own horn… “KID is actually an idol of mine.”

“Same, same!” Sonoko cheered. Shinichi groaned as Ran gave a polite smile. “I _love_ KID!”

Oh, Kaito knew.

He grinned as he sat down, purposefully in Tantei-kun’s seat where the lukewarm coffee needed a refill.

Shinichi just huffed and stole his drink back. It’s okay. Kaito didn’t want his coffee. It was probably _sin_ sugar and cream.

“How did you two meet?” Ran asked, genuinely interested.

“Oh, this oughta be good,” Sonoko rubbed her hands together.

Kaito traced his finger around the lip of his cup, thinking. “Well…”

*             *             *             *             *

 _Don’t say crime scene. Don’t say crime scene_ , Shinichi prayed. _Don’t. Say. Crime. Scene_!

“... It was at a crime scene.”

Shinichi face-palmed and wondered if he could suffocate himself with just his hand. Probably not.

“It was just as they were wrapping up, actually,” the man (what was his _name_?!) explained. “I got to see Tantei-kun’s deduction show and everything. Now, I’m not one for dead bodies, but his showmanship was _flawless_.”

“So you fell for his theatrics?” Sonoko smirked over her parfait.

“Hardly!” the man turned up his nose. “I fell for his _romantic_ s.”

“Shinichi?” Ran clarified.

“ _Romantics_?” Sonoko repeated with a disbelieving drawl. Both girls laughed at Shinichi’s expense.

“Yeah, it might not have been the _usual_ kind of romantic gesture, but it made my heart flutter,” the man rested his chin on his knuckles. Indigo eyes stared at Shinichi, making him shift self-consciously. “After he had finished calling the criminal out, he looked over towards me. Our eyes connected and he said one word: _fireworks_.”

“Fireworks,” Sonoko repeated, doubtful.

“I assume he meant the spark that ignited between us with that first glance,” the man smiled at Shinichi, not seeming to pay the doubtful girls any attention. “I know _I_ felt it.”

Wow. This guy was _good_.

Both girls looked starry-eyed and impressed now. Shinichi himself half-believed it and that was saying something.

“I think he was struck dumb by my good looks, because he totally missed my introduction right after,” the man huffed, looking mildly offended before winking at Shinichi. “But that did lend me a brilliant excuse to capture him. He never could say no to a challenge.”

“And I regret it every day,” Shinichi groaned.

“So, how long have you two been going out?” Sonoko quizzed.

“Two years,” the man said, dead serious. Shinichi sputtered into his drink and nearly choked. Ran looked stunned.

“But, that was when…” Ran fell quiet as Shinichi quickly tried to remedy the situation.

“Weeks!” Shinichi waved his hands at Sonoko’s angering face. “He meant weeks!”

“I think he knew _exactly_ what he meant!” Sonoko hissed. “Is _he_ that ‘case’ you were working on for a _whole year_!? Were you dating him while dating _Ran_!?” she gasped and turned to Ran. “Is _that_ why you broke up with him!?”

“No, no, no!” Shinichi waved his hands. Shit! He should never have chosen a random person from the coffee shop to play his lover. That was a terrible idea!

“Sorry, sorry,” the man laughed non-chalantly. “I couldn’t help myself! You should have seen your faces!”

The three stared at the man like he’d grown another head. Shinichi punched his shoulder, infuriated.

“Ow!” the man complained, rubbing his shoulder. “What was that for?”

“That was a terrible joke and you know it,” Shinichi grimaced before he turned his gaze back down to his coffee. He took a sip –ew, it was cold… He took a sip anyway.

“Mmm… Sorry, Tantei-kun,” the man smiled, not looking apologetic in the least. “But I had to make sure they were really your friends!”

Shinichi blinked and looked up.

“ _What_?!” Sonoko shrieked. “ _Us_!? We’re trying to make sure _you’re_ really his _boyfriend_!”

“Why would you need to test us?” Ran asked, in a calmer tone than Sonoko, but still quite sad.

“Why?” the man swished his drink around –hot chocolate, now that Shinichi was close enough to smell it. “Well, of course! For the same reason that you felt the need to interrogate my… Shinichi about his love life, which _neither of you_ are currently playing a part in, nor need to concern yourselves with. If Shinichi wanted to, he could choose to get a Sugar Mama or love a criminal or grow old and die alone –and that would be his choice. Your thoughts and wishes have no bearing on what Shinichi should do and, quite frankly, you have no right to tell him who he should date or even _to date_ if he chooses not to.”

Sonoko was stunned.

Ran was stunned.

 _Shinichi_ was stunned.

The man smiled. “But I’m sure you had his best interests at heart. I’m glad that Shinichi has friends like you who want to look out for him. Just know where to draw the line from now on, okay?”

“Yeah,” Sonoko said, sounding a little dazed.

Ran nodded with a look that said she was re-evaluating her life choices.

“Good!” the man said as he drained the rest of his drink. “Now, Shinichi and I have somewhere else to be, so if you two will excuse us!”

They did? Shinichi didn’t know about this.

Oh wait, the guy probably wanted his money.

Had Shinichi really paid one-hundred dollars for a fake-date? Well… it did come with the added bonus of a stern talking to for Sonoko. He probably owed the guy more than the hundred he originally offered.

While Shinichi was thinking this over, the other man ushered him out of the booth and then out the door into the chilly post-winter, near-spring air. He took Shinichi’s hand to lead the detective away from the café, probably putting on a show for the girls who could still see them through the window.

Just as Shinichi was about to question where they were going, the man spoke up. “I’m sorry about intervening like that. They are your friends, so I probably shouldn’t have yelled at them like that, but…”

“It’s fine,” Shinichi shook his head and kept pace with the other. “Someone had to do it or Sonoko would have kept chugging along like a train with no brakes heading into a highly populated town.”

“That’s a…” the man frowned, “morbid image.”

“Indeed,” Shinichi agreed. “So you’ve actually done us a favor. Ran and I, we wouldn’t have stood up to her. I’m not sure she would have listened even if we did. Sonoko’s just always been Sonoko.”

“Well, I’m glad that I could help,” the man looked at him out of the corner of his eye. “In more ways than one.”

“Oh right!” Shinichi paused them at a crosswalk. “I own you some money, right?”

“Nah, that’s fine,” the man shrugged. “I don’t need it.”

Shinichi looked at him. “You don’t need a hundred dollars.”

“Nope,” the man shook his head. “I’m not strapped for cash or anything. If you feel bad about it, donate it to some animal shelter in my name. Make sure they take in birds too, though. I like birds.”

“Huh…” Shinichi… didn’t know what to do with that. This guy just… blew all of Shinichi’s expectations out of the water. He… kind of liked that. Too bad it had to end. “Well, thank you, anyway. I guess this is good-bye then.”

“More like ‘see you later’,” the man replied with a cheeky grin. “After all, you still haven’t guessed my name.”

Shinichi frowned. “I thought you made that up for my friends. We’ve never met before today.”

“Haven’t we?” the man smiled at him. “I’ve given you enough clues, Tantei-kun. You should have known by now.”

Shinichi frowned harder, eyebrows furrowing as he thought back to the things the man had revealed about himself.

_“Well, I do imagine he hasn’t shaken hands with a magician before. There are few of us now-a-days.”_

_“KID wishes he was as good as me!” _

_“... It was at a crime scene.”_

_“Our eyes connected and he said one word, ‘ fireworks.’”_

_“He never could say no to a challenge.”_

One scene stood out above all the others.

_“So, how long have you two been going out?” Sonoko quizzed._

_“Two years,” the man said, dead serious. Shinichi sputtered into his drink and nearly choked. Ran looked stunned._

_“But, that was when…” Ran fell quiet._

When Shinichi was Conan –which Ran knew and Sonoko didn’t. But this man couldn’t know. It wasn’t possible-!

_“I’ve given you enough clues, Tantei-kun.”_

It clicked.

Clicked like the click-clack of shoes against tiles floors of expensive museums. Clicked like set traps that he wove around, designed for bodies far larger than his own. Clicked like his watch as he took aim, fired, and _missed_.

Clicked like the snap of his phone as he closed it to address the newcomer to the rooftop, a figure dressed in all white, who moved silent as a cloud, but made noise as easily as an explosion and called in the voices of every officer on the Taskforce and many other people Conan did not know.

“ _Tantei-kun…”_

This man… Shinichi knew this man.

“Kaitou KID?” Shinichi whispered, surprised by his own deduction.

The man – _KID_ –just smiled at him. “Ex-KID, actually. When you took down that terrorist organization, the people I was working against fell too. I’ve been keeping a low profile ever since, keeping an eye out just in case some decide to try their hand at finding… at completing their mission.”

“So you haven’t been… stalking me?” Shinichi winced at the way that sounded. “Today in the café was just…?”

“An accident,” KID confirmed. “Though I will admit: I thought you were there to arrest me. You practically tackled me against the counter. I thought you had found my civilian identity and were just lying in wait to strike.”

“You make me sound like some kind of predator,” Shinichi scoffed and crossed his arms.

“Aren’t you?” KID asked. “I’ve heard detectives are like sharks –they _smell_ blood.”

Shinichi had said as much before, though KID couldn’t _possibly_ have known that.

“As fun as this revelation is, I’m going to have to bring you in now,” Shinichi said, despite the pain in his chest at the words. “Kaitou KID is a notorious criminal. As a detective, it is my duty to bring him in.”

KID tensed, as if to flee, but he hesitated. “I’m sensing a ‘but’ in there…”

“I can’t turn Kaitou KID in until I’ve figured out his real name,” Shinichi said. “And I can’t do that unless you give me plenty of opportunities to learn.”

“Going back to our supposed ‘bet’?” KID laughed, shoulders relaxing. “You’ll date me until you deduce my name? But then what?”

“Well, according to the laws in effect, I could not be counted as a key witness,” Shinichi shrugged, even as he stared into KID’s eyes with a fervor that had driven lesser men and women to their knees. KID merely blushed. “After all, significant others are generally too biased to be of logical use to the court system.”

“I like the way you think, Tantei-kun,” KID said, grin becoming devious. “I’ll make sure our _actual_ first date is better than this one.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Shinichi said. At that moment, a rush of wind tore past them. Shinichi closed his eyes against it, not wanting to get his bangs into delicate parts. When he opened them again, KID was gone.

“You better come back, you thief,” Shinichi said as he looked up towards the sky.

*             *             *             *             *

Kaito cowered behind the corner he’d fled to as the detective crossed the street and continued on his way.

He felt as if he’d just escaped the maws of a lion on sheer luck of a full stomach –and at the same time, like a curious little fox that couldn’t help but go back for more. This thrill, this sense of _chase_ , he had missed it since leaving the KID mantel to rest. He had thought that everything of that life had to be left behind –including and _especially_ Tantei-kun.

Kaito is so glad he’d been wrong.

He covered his nose against the cold and blamed the redness of his cheeks to the wind.

“I’ll definitely come back, Tantei-kun,” Kaito promised. “So be ready when I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with me, guys! :)


	25. Merboy AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Magic Kaito or Detective Conan, only the idea for this fic.
> 
> PS - Despite Kaito's phobia, this was actually a fairly easy fic to write. :) I had lots of fun and I know lots of people were waiting to read it. Hope you enjoy!

Kaito liked the ocean. It’s calming waves, refreshing salt spray and _beautiful_ sunsets; everything combined into the most calming place Kaito had ever seen.

Oh, he’d never set foot in it –never even _think_ about it! Not with the f-f-f – _things_ living inside it. No, Kaito wouldn’t go in, but the surface wasn’t bad to enjoy.

Usually, he’d sit at the edge of a small pier, beach on one side, surf on the other and just _watched_. All of the crazy spinning thoughts in his head would quiet and his fidget-tapping fingers would relax. Sometimes, he’d do homework. Sometimes he’d work on his magic. Other times, he’d just sit and enjoy. After all, you only live life once.

It was one of those days now where he just needed a break from school and Aoko and _people_ and-!

“Are you not going to get in?” a voice off the edge of the dock startled Kaito. Roughly two feet below, a face peered up at him from the water. Blue eyes, the bluest blue Kaito had ever seen, stared up at him, curious. “Are you?”

“What?” Kaito asked, dumbfounded.

“Are you going to come in?” the man asked, pushing one dark lock of soaked hair away from his eyes. “I see you around here a lot, but you never jump in like everybody else.”

“Oh, I just like watching the ocean,” Kaito said, finally tuning back in to the conversation. “Not everyone comes to swim, you know.”

“I know,” the man said. He pointed out to a couple boats lining the other docks. “Men come out on those to haul up fish. You don’t.”

“Because I’m not a fisherman,” Kaito rolled his eyes and leaned back on his hands. “Some people just like to stare out at the ocean. It’s calming.”

“It’s weird,” the man wrinkled his nose.

Kaito scowled and turned up his nose. “You know, _some people_ would find it weird that you were _watching me_.”

The man sank up to his chin in the water. His lips brushed the waves as he spoke. “It’s not _weird_.”

“It’s weird,” Kaito confirmed with a teasing grin.

“I just…” the man looked off to the side, cheeks flushing slightly. “I like the things you do with your hands. It’s… interesting.”

“My hands?” Kaito held one up to examine. Things he did with his hands… Oh! “You mean my magic?”

The man frowned. “That’s not magic.”

“Of course it is!” Kaito defended. “I’m a magician! It’s magic!”

“You may be a magician, but what I saw is not magic,” the man argued.

“Here, I’ll show you!” Kaito said hotly. He took a coin from his pocket and flicked it into the air. When he caught it, he grinned down at the man before making the coin dance across his knuckles and disappear.

“It’s under your watch,” the man said quite accurately.

Kaito scowled at him, because, hey! His attention should have been on his fingers when Kaito turned his hand over…

Then Kaito realized that the man was far shorter than Kaito was used to. For sleight of hand to work, he needed his audience at a certain angle. Right now, the line of sight was all wrong.

“You saw it because you were in the water!” Kaito hissed, ruffled because his trick had been seen through. “Get up here!”

“I don’t…” the man winced and ducked his head. “Think that’s a good idea.”

“Nope! Nope! You called my magic into question!” Kaito crossed his arms petulantly. “You have to get up here so I can prove myself!”

The man let out a sigh and ducked below the water. Kaito stared after him and deflated. Guess the man was done with him. Dang, he was pretty hot too.

Just as Kaito settled back into his lounge, he heard a sound that shot ice to the depths of his stomach. On the calm beach, with the sun on his face and wind in his hair, Kaito heard a splash.

A big one.

Followed by a solid _thud_ as water sprayed all up his right side.

“Hey, a little help here?”

Strong arms grasped at the boards of the dock. Pale skin flowed down a broad back to a trim waist and. Bright. Blue. Scales.

“F-f-f-!” Kaito crab-walked backwards. His palmed scraped against the old wooden boards, doubtlessly picking up splinters from tip to palm. He couldn’t care less.

“Hey, are you-?”

“ _FISH_!” Kaito yelled. He finally managed to scramble to his feet and flat-out _bolted_ away. Behind him, he heard another splash, but it was far away.

Far, far away.

*             *             *             *             *

Kaito was scared to return for fear of the half-fish _monster_ lurking near his spot. It had said that it watched him for a while. It had wondered why he didn’t swim.

Was it waiting for him?

Was it watching for him to return?

Did it dream of dragging him beneath the surface? Holding him down? Feasting on his flesh?

Could it find him on land?

Could it smell the blood he’d left behind and follow the trail to his house?

Could it drag its way from the watery depths and kill him in his sleep?

Kaito didn’t know, but he lay awake at night, terrified of any of it being true. One night turned into two… turned into three… turned into ten. The monster never showed its face.

Maybe…

Maybe Kaito had dreamed the whole thing up. Maybe he got a little heat stroke and started to hallucinate things. There was no way a _monster_ like that would be real, right? No, it just had to be Kaito’s overactive imagination.

Another week went by and still no monster, so Kaito felt he was safe enough to return to the dock and his usual spot.

“Oh, you came back.”

Kaito was wrong.

He was _so_ wrong.

*             *             *             *             *

It should be noted that Kaito only ran away from the beach two more times before he decided to get to the bottom of this.

‘This’ being the pair of beady eyes staring at him from the watery depths.

Kaito stared back, glare fierce even as his hands shook.

The eyes rose as their owner brought his mouth out of the water. “Are you going to run away again?”

“That depends,” Kaito said.

“On?”

“Whether you’re going to try to eat me again.”

“I… never? Tried to eat you?” the _monster_ cocked his head to the side. “Besides, shouldn’t it be the other way around?”

Kaito frowned, carefully taking a seat, albeit further away from the edge of the dock than normal. “What do you mean?”

“You’re human. I’m part fish.” That _slimyscaly evil_ tail flicked out of the water. “Humans eat fish.”

Kaito cringed back. “No, _idiots_ eat f-f-fish! _I_ know that f-f-f- _you_ are plotting to take over the world! With your _scaly_ scales and _slimy_ fins! I know the pets are just undercover agents and that the markets are used to lure us into a false sense of security while purging your numbers of the weak! I know _everything_!”

The monster stared. “Wow. Just… wow. Are you okay? Is this normal for humans?”

“Just know that I won’t fall for your tricks!” Kaito huffed as he got back to his feet and walked away. “I know your plans! I _know_!”

He did not run away that time. He merely walked at a faster pace than normal.

*             *             *             *             *

The next couple times that Kaito visited his spot, the monster was nowhere in sight. Kaito was able to bask in the late afternoon sun, listen to the waves and feel the wind against his face.

It was all to disguise an _ambush_.

“Hey!” a familiar, _unwelcomed_ voice called from below.

“Ugh,” Kaito groaned. “What do you want?”

“Can you read this?” the creature held up a… piece of glass? Kaito cocked his head and squinted. It looked to be the bottom of a bottle of some sort with recycling instructions.

“It’s just telling the make, model, and how to dispose of it,” Kaito guessed.

The creature’s face lit up. It was almost… cu –No! The creature was _not_ cute! Even if it’s upper half was human and had the bluest eyes Kaito had ever _seen_ –it’s second half was an abomination!

“Wait here!” the monster ordered before his head ducked back underwater. Kaito stared after, curious despite himself. A few minutes passed before the monster resurfaced with a splash, something larger in his hands. “What about this?”

It was a boardwalk sign, one of those warnings they put up for slippery piers. When Kaito said as much, the creature looked _ecstatic_.

“Why are you so eager to know?” Kaito asked, but the creature ignored him.

“One more! One more!” the monster disappeared again, splashing with the enthusiasm of any two-year-old. Kaito sighed but resigned himself to ‘one more’ seemingly random object that the creature just _had_ to ask about.

When the creature resurfaced a third time, Kaito was surprised to recognize the item in his hands. “Is that a book?”

“You know what it is?” the creature asked, eyes bright with curiosity. “I liked the picture on top, but I couldn’t understand anything inside it.”

“Yeah, I bet not,” Kaito said, leaning forward despite himself. “Let me see it.”

The creature held it up. Kaito leaned more, squinting down at the book. Normally, he’d be able to discern words even from a considerable distance, but the water damage made them nearly impossible to read.

“Just take it,” the creature ordered, shaking the book where he held it out of the water.

Kaito leaned backwards, face falling into a pale frown. “It’s too water damaged. I can’t read it.”

The creature frowned at him, but brought the book close again. “You’re lying.”

“Am not! It really is-!”

“You’re scared of me,” the creature cocked his head to the side. “Why? I’m part human.”

“But you’re also part _f-f-fish_ ,” Kaito said the accursed word like a hiss.

“But I’m also part _human_.”

“It’s the _f-f-finny_ part that matters!”

The creature pouted at him. “But I also eat fish.”

“Cannabalism,” Kaito shrugged. “It’s not a novel concept.”

The creature looked horrified and, okay, maybe Kaito went a little too far with that.

“Sorry, just…” Kaito rubbed a hand at the back of his neck where the sun was starting to burn. “It’s something I can’t really get over. Nothing to do with _you_ , just…”

“Just fish,” the creature furrowed his eyebrows. “Why didn’t you run when I first approached? I wasn’t exactly… subtle.”

“I wasn’t paying attention,” Kaito rested his chin on his knuckles. “I just looked down and saw a swimmer at the end of the dock. Half- _f-f-marine life_ person was the farthest thing from my mind.”

“I think the politically correct term is ‘merman’,” the creature raised an eyebrow. “But my name is Shinichi.”

Strangely, having a name made the creature less… threatening. There was no way that Kaito would _ever_ forget that the other had a slimy, scaly tail, but… talking didn’t seem so bad.

So long as this ‘Shinichi’ kept his distance.

“Mine’s Kaito,” he replied, leaning forward again. “But I’m sorry, the book really is water damaged. Water and paper don’t mix. I’m surprised it hasn’t disintegrated entirely.”

The cre – _Shinichi_ looked so disheartened that Kaito felt an ache in his own chest. Sighing, Kaito stared at the cover, trying to remember where he’d seen it before. He thought it was something Hakuba had been reading, but…

“Tell you what,” Kaito said, slapping his thighs with his sudden decision. “A friend of mine has an undamaged copy of the book. I’ll ask him to borrow it and bring it by.”

Shinichi perked up, wonder in his eyes again. “Will you read it for me too?”

Kaito balked. That would mean spending the day with a _f-fi-fi-!_ (Kaito swallowed) _merman_ only a few feet away from him. That was not _any_ kind of situation Kaito wanted to put himself into, and yet…

Shinichi stared up at him, blue eyes glistening with hope and innocence and all the pure things in the world.

No matter how much Kaito told himself this was a _trap –don’t be an idiot, they’re after you-! –_ he found himself falling for those baby blues and reluctantly nodding his head.

Shinichi’s cheer was almost worth it.

*             *             *             *             *

“Hakuba, I need to borrow this book.”

“…Why? Last time I checked, you loathed anything and everything related to Sherlock Holmes. What could you possibly want this book for?”

“What? I can’t fulfill my suddenly acquired appreciation for distinguished British detectives from a previous century?”

“No.”

“Ah, you caught me. I’m actually taking it to the docks where I’m going to spend my afternoon reading aloud to a mythical creature and hope no one thinks I’m crazy.”

“Ah, now _that_ sounds more likely. I want it back by ten. I’m just getting to the good part.”

*             *             *             *             *

So Kaito’s peaceful afternoons continued with a little more company than he was used to and a little more Holmes than he would have ever liked. Shinichi _loved_ the story about the intelligent detective and his caring cohort and begged Kaito every time they finished to return with another book. Kaito, unable to say no to those pleading blue eyes ( _he was trapped, hook, line sinker, no escape-!_ ), always said yes.

Hakuba had yet to question Kaito about the sudden interest in Holmes. Kaito actually feared that the Brit _believed_ him, which said a bit for the other’s sanity. After all, Kaito never showed up with any evidence or proof and Hakuba never went looking.

( _Some things,_ Hakuba decided, _are better left unquestioned._ )

And with all this time spent together, well… Kaito had to admit that Shinichi was starting to grow on him.

The merman was funny in a sassy, sarcastic kind of way. He was mellow when Kaito just wanted to relax, but turned intensely eager when the Holmes book of the week was brought out. Sometimes, he left little shells on the dock for Kaito, one of the few things from beneath the waves that Kaito didn’t mind. If that wasn’t cute, Kaito didn’t know what was.

He was completely lost on the man. If only it weren’t for the _tail_.

It was on another of these peaceful days that Shinichi did the unthinkable (for him) and interrupted Kaito’s dictation. “Are we friends?”

Kaito paused in his reading. “What?”

“Are we friends?” Shinichi repeated. “We spend a lot of time together and I don’t _dislike_ it, but I can never tell with other people.”

“Other mer-people,” Kaito corrected.

“Men, mermen, same thing,” Shinichi shrugged.

“ _Not_ the same thing!” Kaito said as he sharply snapped the book, _A Study in Scarlet_ , shut. “Big difference! _Huge_!”

“Is it… really that big?” Shinichi asked, brow furrowing in thought.

“Uh, _yes?_ ” Kaito gestured wildly. “You’re part _f-f-fish_! You live in the water! You have gills! You’re _part f-f-fish_! You have a tail! You probably have some weird hypnotic powers! _You’re part f-f-fish!_ ”

Shinichi scowled at him. “I can see where you’re getting hung up.”

“It’s not just me!” Kaito set the book to the side. “ _Anyone_ who happened upon you would freak out. Sure, they’d likely try to capture you and sell you off to the circus or something, but _still_! You aren’t normal!”

“I’m normal for a merman,” Shinichi said, looking put out.

“Not my point,” Kaito scowled. “My point is, humans and mermen… we are different. You belong to the sea and I… I belong on land, where I can walk without getting bowled over by waves and where slimy _things_ don’t swim between my legs.”

Shinichi grew quiet, eyes thoughtful as he stared into the gently lapping waves. Suddenly, he nodded to himself, as if coming to a decision. Looking back up, Shinichi asked. “Kaito? Can you bring some clothes with you tomorrow? Whatever it is that humans dress in to be ‘normal’.”

Kaito blinked. “If you think dressing as a human with a _tail_ is going to make you fit in…”

Shinichi rolled his eyes and flipped backwards into the waves.

Kaito instinctively closed his eyes to spare himself a glance at those gleaming evil _scales._

*             *             *             *             *

When Kaito arrived the next day, Shinichi wasn’t there. Or, no, that wasn’t right. Shinichi was _there_ , just… beneath the surface of the water. Only his glowing blue eyes could be seen.

“Okay, so…” Kaito nervously shuffled the bundle of cloth in his hands. “I brought clothes, like you asked. Any particular reason for them? Are you planning to splash me again?”

Below the water, Shinichi shook his head and made a motion for Kaito to step back. Baffled, Kaito did so. He watched as Shinichi’s watery figure backtracked several yards… only to turn around and swim headlong at the dock. Little ‘V’s rippled after him.

With one hard _slap_ of his tail, Shinichi arced out of the water to land _hard_ on the dock.

Kaito’s throat closed up and his blood pounded in his ears as those scales he hadn’t seen in _months_ reappeared. He scrambled backwards, hands clutching at his spare clothes and feet turning to flee when Shinichi started to seize.

He shook as if having a seizure; those death throws that caught fish always did, mouth gaping for air and silently screaming in pain. It was the _worst_ thing to watch because Kaito couldn’t get over his _stupid fear_ and do anything about it!

Then Kaito’s breath caught.

Those scales… those scales that decorated Shinichi’s lower half like some bedazzled fabric; those horrible, _evil_ scales were sliding _off_.

Shinichi writhed, clawing at the dock as the scales trickled off like water until, with a sudden gasp, he went limp.

Kaito stood frozen in place.

Seconds ticked by.

“Shin…” Kaito swallowed and tried again. “Shinichi?”

“It’s cold,” Shinichi said from where he lay face-down on the dock. “I didn’t expect that.”

Kaito stared and then cracked up laughing. “You… you-!”

“Help. Please?” Shinichi asked as he pushed himself up with his hands only. His left foot twitched. “I don’t think I can stand.”

“Coming, coming,” Kaito said, careful to keep his eyes away from the pile of scales. They weren’t attached to anything f-f-finny anymore, but he still wanted to avoid looking at them if at all possible. “If you had warned me, I could have brought a towel or something!”

“I’ll dry,” Shinichi said flippantly as Kaito dragged him from the pile of scales and shoved the clothes into his hands. Shinichi donned the shirt with ease, but the pants left him mystified. “Um…?”

Kaito rolled his eyes and knelt to help Shinichi slip his uncooperative feet inside and down the pant legs.

“This is so weird,” Shinichi said as he wiggled his toes. Kaito rested his chin on his knee, watching the ex-merman gain motor control over his new limbs.

“Why’d you do it?” Kaito asked suddenly. Shinichi looked up from where he’d been poking at his ankles. “You had the entire sea at your fingertips. You could have been halfway around the world before I woke up this morning. You could have been with your _family_ -!”

“But I couldn’t be with you,” Shinichi said, deep blue eyes staring at Kaito with that same mystical quality they’d always had. Shinichi frowned and twitched his knees into some kind of copy of Kaito’s position. “You were scared of me –half of me, but the half that mattered. But I… I didn’t want you to be scared. If it meant making a deal with a sea witch, then so be it. Besides, I can always come back and visit my family later.”

“But what about –wait,” Kaito blinked. “Sea witch? Like in the Little Mermaid?”

“I guess?” Shinichi cocked his head to the side.

“Then you had to give up something! But you can still talk!” Kaito paled. “What did you trade?”

“My luck,” Shinichi snorted. “Joke’s on her. There’s no such thing as luck.”

“... You are a merman that made a deal with a sea witch for legs,” Kaito rubbed a hand down his face, “and you don’t believe in luck.”

“Yes,” Shinichi deadpanned.

Kaito stared.

Shinichi stared back.

Kaito threw his hands up. “I give up! Nothing in my life makes sense anymore!”

Shinichi frowned. “Just now? I would have thought that started back when you first began speaking with me.”

Kaito scowled and jabbed a finger at Shinichi’s chest. “Don’t go trying to push your luck, pretty boy.”

“You…” Shinichi blinked, taken aback. “You think I’m pretty?”

Kaito worked his mouth for several moments, a bright blush painting his cheeks. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. He _really_ hadn’t meant to say that out loud!

Before Kaito could dig himself even further into the hole, a scream sounded like a siren over the beach. Both men looked over to see a woman collapsed over an unmoving body part way down the sand.

“What’s that?” Shinichi asked, curious.

“Most likely? An accident of some sort,” Kaito replied. “Drowning, jelly fish sting…”

“…Murder,” Shinichi’s eyes widened with excitement. “Kaito, this could be just like Holmes! This could be a murder mystery! Where’s the detective on the case?”

Kaito gaped for several minutes before he realized: No, Shinichi was not joking. “Shinichi, detectives don’t just _happen_ upon crime scenes like Holmes. That’s fiction, not-!”

“That won’t do,” Shinichi said as he pushed himself shakily to his feet. He made it half-way up before he tumbled, Kaito just barely catching him before he pitched off the side of the dock. “We need to find the culprit!”

“ _We_?” Kaito squawked.

“I’ve always wanted to be a detective,” Shinichi noted as he stumbled his way down the dock, Kaito close behind.

What did Kaito ever do to deserve this?

(It was a murder… as was the one in the café they ate at and the one on the subway train on their way one. Kaito is sure that some sea witch, somewhere, is laughing at Kaito’s expense and Shinichi’s terrible luck.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the fic! :)
> 
> I have finished the first draft of my AI AU, but there's *tons* of editing ahead of me right now. It's sitting at about 24,000 words, so I'm wondering if I don't just make it a 4-part story instead of putting it in See You Next Illusion. What do you guys think?


	26. Hunter X Hunter crossover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito or Hunter x Hunter, only the idea for this fanfic crossover.
> 
> PS - For those who have ever wondered, the people in Kaito's Weakness are Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter. :) They are another favorite pair of mine.
> 
> The idea here is that, several years after the last episode in the series, Gon and Killua do what Gon's father wanted and end up entering the next universe up from theirs -DCMK. For those of you who know what this means: yes, Ging is very jealous. For those of you who don't... just think of it as a cross-over where Gon and Killua know they are in the wrong universe. :)

That thief wasn’t escaping Killua again! Last time was a fluke. The thief known as Kaitou KID had played fast and loose with his target –a first if that cop was to be believed. Some research had shown the thief was consistent if nothing else.

If there was one thing a thief shouldn’t be, it was consistent.

Killua had it planned out. He and Gon were the first line of defense. With Gon’s senses and Killua’s reflexes, there’s no way the thief would get through.

On the very slim chance he did, there was Bisky. No one messed with Bisky.

“Okay, Gon,” Killua said as they cased the room. The officers had been forced to wait outside to prevent injury to bystanders, much to their grumbling. “Just tell me where he is and I’ll get him.”

Gon frowned. “I know he ate your cake, Killua, but don’t kill him for that! Besides, we got a second for you, didn’t we?”

“Of course, I won’t kill him!” Killua scowled, crossing his arms. “I don’t do that anymore!”

But breaking bones? Maiming? Those were almost _expected_ in a confrontation, right?

“Like I said, I’ll get him, so you just tell me when he gets here.” Killua dropped his hands to his pockets, fingering his lead-weighted yo-yos.

“Ah!” Gon pouted at the ceiling. “Too late.”

Before Killua could question him, the room began to fill with smoke. “Gon!”

“Ew!” Gon whined, covering his nose. “Ew, ew, ew, ew!

“What is it?!”

“Smells bad!” Gon said, sounding nasally as he plugged his nostrils. “Ugh, I can _taste_ it!”

“Then stop talking and just point to where he is!” Killua ordered, eyes trying to track through the smoke. He enacted _Gyo_ to try and find the other’s _Nen_ , but he didn’t see anything that stood out from the norm. Through the walls, he saw the officers’ Auras, but not KID’s.

“Don’t you think I’ve thought of that?” a voice echoed through the entire room. How did he _do_ that?!

“Killua, I hear whining,” Gon said, rubbing at his ears.

Killua cursed.

The ‘whining’ Gon spoke of, they determined, was the feedback of this world’s microphones. Phones, speakers, camcorders –they all seemed to have minute amounts of feedback that only Gon could hear.

A room full of it meant one thing: the thief _knew_ and had prepared a defense against it.

Killua felt a _whoosh_ of something vaguely human-like off to his right as cackles filled the room. With lightning fast reflexes, he struck, only to end up claws deep in rubber. The balloon exploded with a burst of confetti and more smoke.

“Killua, left!” Gon shouted, but the three seconds it took for Killua to process the shout was too long. The thief had slipped between them. He swept Bisky up into his arms and disappeared up the stairs.

Killua growled, not liking being upstaged by a common thief. His _Nen_ sparked around him, his hair filling with static charge.

“Killua, no!” Gon said, throwing himself at the other.

Killua stopped immediately, if only to keep the idiot from electrocuting himself. “Cut it out! We need to go after him!”

“We will!” Gon said, with a stubborn frown. “But we can’t use _Nen_ against him!”

“And why _not_?!”

“Because he can’t use it! It wouldn’t be fair!”

“Bull shit!” He hadn’t been able to sense the other at all. No way the thief could do that without _Zetsu_!

“It’s true!” Gon insisted. “When he ran past to Bisky, I saw. He doesn’t have a _Nen_ barrier up. If we were to attack him…”

Killua knew exactly what would happen. He remembered those at the Heaven’s Arena and even more afterwards. He knew the consequences –that didn’t mean he liked to go without.

He growled out a sullen ‘ _fine’_ and headed to the stairs. He was more than ready without his _Nen_ anyway.

*          *          *          *          *

Bisky was only holding on because she had been surprised, okay?! It’s not because she _wanted_ to be held by the mysterious thief or anything! He was probably some ugly, smelly old man-!

Oh no.

He’s _hot_!

The thief, Kaitou KID, placed her on her feet once they’d retreated to the rooftop. Bisky tensed, knowing the fight that was about to come next, but she was surprised.

Instead of raising a hand against her, he knelt down to place a gentle kiss on her gloved knuckles.

“Please pardon my rough handling, mademoiselle,” KID said with a gentlemanly voice. Flowers seemed to grow around him in her vision, framing his figure. “But I could not view your perfection beneath such abysmal lighting.”

This guy needed to stop or Bisky would _swoon_.

“And such perfect beauty it is.” A gloved hand drew a blonde lock behind her ear and –yep, there went her knees. KID caught her like the gentleman he was. “Fear not, fair maiden. I wish you no harm. All I ask” –he held out a hand— “is to see your precious gem under the light of the moon.”

Part of her immediately wanted to hand over the gem held tightly in her fist. The other burned at the thought of losing Blue Planet-chan. But the thief was so hot! But her precious Blue-chan! Oh~!

She was saved from answering by the doors swinging open with a bang.

“Let Bisky go, thief!” Gon shouted. Bisky felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Once she gives me the Blue Planet, I will allow her free,” KID replied, not the slightest bit put out by having three-on-one. At least, not until Killua’s hands curved into claws. “Oh _shit_! What happened to your _hands_?!”

“Not so tough _now_ , are you?” Killua’s grin was as cold and precise as his claws. Before he could take a step closer, a card embedded itself into the ground at his feet. “Did you just shoot at me with a _playing card_?!”

“Do. Not. Move,” KID ordered coldly.

“Or what? You’ll give me papercuts until I bleed out?” Killua flexed his fingers, eyes dark. “I’d like to see you _try_.”

Bisky saw KID’s grip tighten, but no other reaction to the taunt –at least, physically. His Aura roiled around him uncertainly.

“Don’t hurt him too much, Killua,” Gon said offhandedly as he stretched out his shoulders.

The thief’s trigger finger twitched, sending two cars out, both just barely missing Gon and Killua. It was just a warning, but to the two seasoned fighters, it was a _challenge_.

The two leapt forward in attack. Bisky pushed herself in front of the gentleman thief “Guys wait!”

A second body flew through the roof access door.

*           *           *           *           *

Killua acted on instinct, grabbing the smaller body and pinning it to his side, claws at the jugular. The person gasped and went stock-still at the feeling of something sharp against his skin.

“Killua!” Gon shouted, eyes going wide.

“Tantei-kun!” KID exclaimed, that perfect Poker Face breaking. His Aura flared around him. Both hands held the gun now, forming a stronger triangle stance. His voice was deadly as he growled. “Let. Him. Go.”

Killua felt a shudder roll up his spine, but refused to acknowledge it. Like some petty thief could scare him. The thief’s change in demeanor told Killua all he needed to know: the person in his grip was important to the thief.

“What if I don’t?” Killua threatened. “You’ve targeted us twice now. I feel an example should be made.”

The body clamped to him trembled.

“What would you like? An ear? A nose?” Killua ducked his head the tiniest bit, letting the shadows gather around his eyes. “How about an eye?”

“Killua…” Gon called, sounding disappointed –and what? Why? Killua was just doing what they’d always-!

“K-KID?” the body he’d trapped spoke, young voice (too young) shaking. “What… what’s going on?”

It was only then that Killua looked down to see a child trapped under his claws. Not a ‘child’ like he and Gon had been when they first took the Hunter’s exam. Not a ‘child’ like Zushi had been when they first met. Not even a ‘child’ like Alluka had been, locked away in her room.

No, this was a _child_ , six years old and _tiny_. What parent in their right mind would allow a child this young to attend a commercialized heist? (His own parents would, but then again, Killua knew that his family wasn’t normal.)

The shock was enough to break Killua from his bloodlust, but not enough for him to take his words back. He had started this, he would finish it. His grip tightened.

“If you want this kid to remain unharmed, you will lower your gun,” Killua ordered.

“Killua…” Gon made a noise of disappointment, but Killua ignored him. Bisky didn’t look too happy with him either, but he would deal with the backlash after he made sure the thief would keep away from them.

KID held his gaze for another second or two before his hands went up in surrender. The gun twirled in his hand so that he gripped the barrel instead of the handle, then it disappeared.

Killua narrowed his eyes. “Now. Promise to never go after Bisky’s gem again and I’ll let the kid go.”

KID’s lips thinned. He didn’t immediately move to agree. Instead, his aura looked like it was warring with itself.

Was he really weighing a gem against this child’s life? Perhaps Killua should break a few of his bones anyway. The thief shouldn’t need to dither with an innocent’s life on the line. The tense silence was broken from an unlikely source.

“You guys are new to the area, aren’t you?” the kid asked, voice barely a quiver with fear. He didn’t wait for an answer as all eyes turned on him. “KID has a reputation for two rules: no one gets hurt and no jewel remains in his hands long. The first is self-explanatory. The second: he returns everything he steals to its rightful owner.”

“So Bisky will get it back?” Gon frowned. “Then why does he steal?”

“In his previous return notices, he has said that the gems are not ones he’s looking for,” the kid answered calmly. He even seemed to be relaxing in Killua’s hold, like the words and explanations held a serene place for him. It was bizarre.

“Then what gem is he looking for?” Bisky asked, cupping her hands to her chest.

The kid had no answer, but he must have been looking at the thief because Gon and Bisky turned his way. KID’s smile was fragile at best. He ducked his head down to hide beneath the wide brim of his hat.

“I’m sorry, Tantei-kun, but a magician never reveals his secrets.”

Killua _hated_ magicians. He hated Hisoka and he hated KID. Why couldn’t all magicians just… _disappear_? Hypnotists like his brother should also disappear. The world was better off without them.

The kid scoffed, then sighed. “But it is likely a good assumption that the gem that… Bisky, was it? That Bisky-nee-chan has, is not the one you are looking for?”

KID’s smile dropped.

“The other gems you have targeted have all been of a specific size or greater and have been cut before the previous decade,” the kid stated as if knowing these facts were obvious. “Bisky-nee-chan’s gem, while large, is not of the same category as the other gems you have targeted, nor has it ever been cut.”

What was with this kid? He hardly sounded like a six-year-old! Not one Killua had ever known anyway.

“Going by these facts, one can deduce that this gem is outside your target zone and, most likely, _not the gem you are seeking_.”

The thief was quiet for a moment before answering carefully. “Given those facts, it is most likely that the gem is not the one I am looking for.”

“Then why did you target it?” that sounded like an accusation. The kid was trapped in Killua’s arms with blade-sharp nails at his throat and he was _accusing the thief_ of being _inconsistent_.

This kid was something else.

“I targeted it because it was unique,” KID said, a grimace on his face. “It showed up suddenly one day, with no history or origins to speak of –almost like…”

_Magic_ was left unsaid, but it made Killua scoff.

“I see… and any possibility, no matter how small is worth a shot?” In response, KID just smiled. “Bisky-nee-chan, KID will give you back your gem if you let him check.”

Killua wanted to demand what made the kid so sure, but Bisky was already handing over Blue Planet. KID gave Killua and the child a cautious look before taking the gem and holding it up to the moonlight.

_Back was turned, attention adequately held, ample time to-!_

“Ah!” KID sighed with a disappointed air. “While your gem is very beautiful Ojou-sama, it is not the one I seek. With that, I shall return it to your capable hands.”

And he did so… followed by tucking a pink rose behind her ear. Killua rolled his eyes at the hearts in her gaze.

“Freaking playboy,” he heard the boy grumble as tiny hands tugged on his forearm. “Mind letting me go now?”

“Ah, yeah.” The kid wasn’t any threat to him, so Killua dropped him onto his feet. The kid fixed his bowtie and –is that what that was? It had felt firmer against Killua’s skin, like metal or something.

Then the boy raised his watch and fired a near invisible needle.

Killua had barely registered the sight of the _needle_ before he was in front of Gon, shielding the other from the _stinging, painful, controlling-!_

The needle was not aimed at them.

KID danced out of the way with a laugh, hand gripping his top hat tightly to keep it from falling off. His aura still sparked sporadically and Killua noticed that the thief moved _away_ from them rather than towards. He had to admit, from one criminal to another, KID’s Poker Face was very good.

KID tutted and shook a finger at the boy. “Now, now, Tantei-kun. You should know better than to try to capture me by now!”

“If I didn’t try, I wouldn’t be KID Killer, now would I?” ‘Tantei-kun’ said. Killua frowned. Didn’t ‘tantei’ mean ‘detective’? But what was this about ‘KID Killer’? Was this child like Killua? Had he…?

“A kid to catch the KID, neh?” the thief laughed again and suddenly his cape was a _hang glider_ –seriously, where did he keep that thing?! “Sorry, but you’ll just have to settle for watching me fly off into the night, Tantei-kun.”

“Uh-huh, settle.” The boy dropped to his knees. Killua felt Gon tense beside him as some ratcheting _click-click-click_ s filled the air along with a ‘whining’ even Killua could hear. “We’ll see about that.”

“N-now Tantei-kun, that’s not nice!” the thief waved his hands and –was this guy really a thief? Killua was starting to doubt his professionalism. “I just saved you, you know!”

“Technically, _I_ saved me… _and_ you. Who was is that found himself in a three-on-one?” The boy stood and fingered his belt.

“Three? Where’s the third?”

“Ten seconds.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you a ten second head start.” The boy’s voice turned mischievous. “Better make it count!”

KID gaped at the boy for several moments before he realized the child was _not_ joking. In the next second, he threw himself off the building and in the following few, a ball of _light_ shot through the air. Killua could barely make out the pattern of a soccer ball at the middle of the sphere of energy, then it and the thief were gone.

“Damn it,” the kid cursed lowly under his breath, unnoticeable to normal ears. “Off by ten centimeters.”

Killua stared at the boy. Just who was this kid?

As if feeling eyes on him, the boy straightened up and looked over. His aura spike nervously, but his face was wide open and innocent. “KID is gone now, so he won’t have to worry about him targeting your gem again, Bisky-nee-chan. Nakamori-keibu should be along any min-!”

The sound of thundering feet echoed up the stairs until the entire ‘Taskforce’ Killua, Gon, and Bisky had met twice now filled the roof-top.

“Where’s KID?” the head inspector demanded, but not to Killua or Gon or Bisky. No, his question was aimed at the small child that had driven the thief off.

“He got away,” Tantei-kun said, voice light and _childish_ like Killua had never heard in their entire interaction. “But don’t worry. Bisky-nee-chan’s gem is safe. KID didn’t make off with it.”

“Well, small victories,” the inspector sighed. “At least it’ll be a blow to his ego when the news makes the report. Nakama! Torizu! Statements!”

“Yes, sir!” two officers separated from the pack to approach Bisky, Killua and Gon. Killua kept an eye on the boy, wanting to ask a few questions of his own before they left. The needle was one thing, but that _ball_ … that had been the closest thing to _Nen_ that Killua had seen in this world since they arrived. He wanted to know how a child so young had become so _powerful_.

With _Nen_ like that, the kid would be a _prodigy_ back home.

Yet sometime during his statement, the boy slipped away and by the time the officers had finished their questions, he was gone.

Detective and Thief, this world was interesting…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a few more ideas for this, so I'll probably put up some sequels after a while. I might even take this out and make it its own series, what do you think?


	27. VAI Omake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the ideas and actions in this fic.
> 
> Just a few scenes from the Viral AI AU that I posted before my hiatus. I'm sure I'll have more over time, but these were a few that I wanted to get in before I forgot.

Conan blinked as he brought his body back online. It had been several months since his run-in with the Black Organization (the first of many) and he’d only recently gotten his body back. He had received his larger body only _after_ he’d taken care of the organization and made sure to ruin them as completely as possible.

He was only a little peeved that he couldn’t give them a more permanent end, but humans didn’t deal criminals the same way anti-virus software did. Instead, he’d had to let Jodie take care of matters, which she was all too happy to do.

But now, he was enjoying his life, new Androidal frame replica and all.

In fact, he already had a new job, one that had taken him online for approximately seven hours as he dug through archive after archive and followed lead after lead to track down his target. Detective work was much easier when he could contemplate evidence and reject leads faster than the speed of sound. He’s sure that, had Holmes had the brainpower Shinichi had, he would never have run into a single problem in his entire life.

Oh well, no use thinking about that.

Shinichi stood up and stretched his limbs, checking that they were all in proper working order before wandering over to the kitchen.

Now that he had the information he had set out to find, he should probably get his phone from the charger unit and give his client a call-!

Shinichi never got the chance.

Instead, he got distracted by a box –a box full of papers.

Normally, this wouldn’t stop Shinichi. Normally, he’d walk by without a second glance –sometimes not even a first! –and continue on his way. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem.

But today, something stopped him.

It stopped him dead in his tracks and whispered in his ear that those poor papers were so lonely and unloved. They were covered from the world, unable to be seen. All the hard work of printing diagrams and words on them… they deserved to be seen!

Shinichi would fix this!

So, making an abrupt left turn, he grabbed a handful of papers… and stopped. They needed to be put on display… but where?

His eyes sparked on the refrigerator.

That’s it!

*             *             *             *             *

Kaito hummed to himself as he skipped down the stairs. He was sure that Shinichi would be done surfing the web soon and Kaito _really_ wanted to show him his new magic trick, so he was planning to just look in and…

He found Shinichi in the kitchen, slowly emptying a box of Haibara’s various thesis and patents onto the refrigerator. Kaito watched Shinichi go through the motions of picking up a paper, sticking on the fridge with a magnet, then turning to pull up another page from the stack. Kaito watched this several times before asking, “Shinichi? What are you doing?”

Shinichi looked over at him, but his hands kept up their pattern. Haibara would call the action creepy. “I’m putting these papers on the frig.”

“Okay…” Kaito frowned and watched Shinichi do several more rounds. “But why?”

“Because they need to be displayed!” Shinichi told him, looking a little feverish around the eyes. “They can’t be seen in the box! They need to be shown to the world!”

Kaito blinked and thought about it… and thought about it… and thought about it…

Kaito gasped.

“You’re right!” he exclaimed and dove into the pile with Shinichi.

The other VAI sped up, energized by his partner helping in his quest of getting all the papers displayed. With two sets of hands, this would finish up in no time!

*             *             *             *             *

Haibara decided it was time for a break when she picked up her coffee mug for the third time, only to be met with empty air… for the third time.

Not a long break, though. Just a small one. Just enough for more coffee, then she would head back down to the lab to work on her latest Nobel Prize worthy proj-!

Shinichi and Kaito were pinning her work onto the back of the door.

“What are you doing?” Haibara demanded, eyes wide. She should probably be mad. She most definitely should! But she just… couldn’t understand what she was seeing.

“The papers, Haibara!” Kaito exclaimed as he handed Shinichi another page. The other VAI was behind the door where the space had significantly decreased after Haibara had come through. “They were in the box!”

“Yes?” she frowned and looked behind the door to Shinichi. “I was going to mail them out.”

“But they can’t be seen in a box!” Shinichi argued as he taped another diagram to the back of the door.

“They need to be displayed to the world!” Kaito agreed enthusiastically.

Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Haibara looked between the two before asking, “Which one of you started this?”

Kaito pointed to Shinichi.

Shinichi held out a hand for more paper.

Kaito handed it over.

“Ah, right.” Haibara set her mug of coffee on the counter, then grabbed Shinichi’s hand and forced him away from the door.

“Wha-? Haibara, no!” Shinichi flailed. “I need to put the papers on the door!”

“I’m sure Kaito-kun will be more than happy to help while I run you through the virus scanner,” Haibara said, bodily pushing him out of the kitchen.

“Kaito?” Shinichi looked back, worried, but it was for not. Kaito gave him a big thumbs up, making Shinichi sigh in relief.

Haibara scowled. This break was going to be longer than she had anticipated.

*             *             *             *             *

Shinichi hid his face in embarrassment as Haibara stared at him. She crossed her arms.

“Do you realize now,” she asked, “why I tell you to use the anti-virus programming? Even if it slows you down?”

“Yes,” Shinichi sighed and dropped his hands into his lap.

“Will you ever run around without it again?” She raised an eyebrow.

Shinichi looked up to the stairs.

“ _Shinichi_ ,” she growled.

“Normally, it’s fine!” he protested weakly. “I can feel their attacks and either evade or counter! It’s what I usually do! It’s just… this time…”

“It felt like you, so you didn’t put your guard up.” Haibara sighed and showed him her computer screen. “It was a Snoop. Not you, not your code, but similar in primary directive, so you got confused and integrated it to your matrix. It then prodded you to share information once it got to your home computer –not realizing that your ‘home computer’ was your Androidal frame.”

Shinichi grimaced. “I’m really sorry about that, by the way.”

She shrugged. “It’s fine… so long as you put all the papers back _in the right order_ so I can ship them out.”

“I will.” Shinichi moved to stand, but cowered at her look. “Right now. I will right now.”

“Good,” she said as she followed him up…

Into utter chaos.

Kaito stood in the middle of the Professor’s house, bewildered. Every flat surface –horizontal, vertical, or otherwise –in the house was covered. Every table, desk, counter, _couch_ , _window_ , _and shelf_ was neatly littered with papers. _Every possible space_ was lined with individual pages. Nothing remained uncovered.

Except Kaito himself.

Kaito, who stood in the middle of a feat of organization _disaster_ that rivalled some wars.

When he finally noticed Shinichi and Haibara, he gave them a very sad look and held up a single piece of paper.

“I ran out of room,” he said.

Haibara’s jaw dropped. Shinichi opened and closed his mouth like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t think of what.

Suddenly, Kaito’s sad look disappeared and he beamed. With two quick steps, he stopped in front of Shinichi and stuck the last page to the VAI’s chest with tape.

“Done!” Kaito chirped happily, throwing his hands up in joy.

“… You’re cleaning this up,” Haibara stated before turning down to disappear into her lab.

Shinichi sighed and buried his face in his hands. After a few minutes of dealing with the fact of _what Kaito had done_ , Shinichi straightened up and looked at the other VAI. “We have to clean up.”

“ _Whaaaat?_ ” Kaito whined. He looked around at his hard work. “But, Shinichi-!”

“Kaito. No.”

“The papers need to be displayed!”

“Kaito… No.”

“Shinichi~!”

“… You’re right, they need to be displayed.”

“See? _SEE?_ ”

“But, what use is it to display them if they aren’t in the right order?”

“…”

“Wouldn’t they be much better if displayed _in order_?”

“… Yes.”

“And you know, the sorting algorithms would put them in the right order… but running around the whole room would take too much time.”

“You’re right… it would be more efficient to do it all in one place.”

“Right. So you go and collect all the papers and I’ll get them in the right order, okay?”

“Okay!”

“… _*sigh*_ Haibara better thank me for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus: Second chapter (28) ;)


	28. VAI Omake 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the ideas and events in this fic.
> 
> And as promised: Second chapter! :)
> 
> Also, next week will start the beginning of my next SGN installment. There will be weekly updates for that, so look forward to more content! :D

“Nice to see you again, Kudou-san,” Hakuba greeted.

“You as well,” Shinichi replied. “I expect things have been going well for you?”

“Swimmingly, just as planned.” Hakuba took a delicate sip of tea and savored the display of lights that occurred from his programs. “I could also say the same for you. I heard about Eldin Co. Brilliant work, by the way.”

“It wasn’t just me.” Shinichi played his fingers around the lip of his coffee cup. “Kaito was a big help.”

“You mean _KID_.” Hakuba’s face screwed up in an impressive display of disgust. “I know that you are a good person, Kudou, and that you mean well, but to pick up that charity case-?”

“Hey! I’m right here!” Kaito yelled from where he and Hattori were huddled over a new contraption Haibara had made. “Haku-bastard!”

“He knows that.” Hattori glared at the blonde. “He just doesn’t care. He thinks that being a full five years old gives him _authority_.”

“He’s a prickly old geezer.”

“I’ll say.”

“I am not old nor prickly!” Hakuba argued. “I was merely stating that turning a VAI into a functioning member of society is nigh impossible!”

“Excuse you?!” Hattori scowled at him, straightening up to make himself look taller and more threatening. “What does being a Viral-AI have anything to do with functioning in society?! I’ve seen plenty of _AIs_ unable to-!”

“Hattori, please. It’s a simple fact.” Hakuba waved away the other’s anger like it was a particularly annoying fly. “Viruses were created to wreak havoc, infect computers, and steal personal information from humans. Starting with a base like that, it becomes obvious that VAIs, unlike AIs will always be unstable. It’s simple fact, right Kudou?”

Shinichi looked at Hakuba, then to Hattori and Kaito and back. He took a sip of his coffee. Hattori crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, face smug. Hakuba’s eyes widened in shock.

“You can’t seriously-?!” Hakuba leaned in, searching the other’s expression. “You _agree_ with him?”

“Well…” Shinichi ran a tongue over his lips to grab the last drops of coffee form his skin. “It’s more like, if I were to agree with you, I would be a hypocrite.”

“Hypocr-?” Hakuba’s eyes widened further and his mouth dropped open in shock. “ _You’re_ a… a-?!”

“VAI?” Shinichi shrugged. “Afraid so.”

“But you’re so… sophisticated!” Hakuba argued. “You’re stable! You know manners and that you can’t just binge on chocolate cake!”

“Hey!” Kaito yelled, affronted.

“You think about situations instead of jumping in like some hot-headed Horde.”

“Hey!” Hattori yelled, also affronted.

“Like you said, it depends on bases.” Shinichi set his mug down and crossed his legs. “I was, and still am, a Snoop. I liked to read and learn. When I was able to keep hold of the information I found, the next logical step was to apply it.”

“So _that’s_ why you act like Holmes so much!” Hattori exclaimed. Shinichi scowled at him.

“I thought copying people was _my_ thing,” Kaito grumbled.

Shinichi let out a fond sigh and looked over to the shell-shocked Hakuba. “Are you okay?”

“I will be. Just…” Hakuba put a hand to his head, making sure his processors weren’t overheating. “I need time to rework my matrix.”

“Take your time. We’ll be right here,” Shinichi said, giving Hakuba a comforting pat on the shoulder. “And when you’re back, maybe you’ll want to discuss why you watch Hattori so much.”

Hakuba very much did not want to.

“Fair warning, though. Antagonizing him is not going to make him pay attention to you. At least, not in the way that you desire.”

Very much. Did. Not. Want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this little look at what other characters might be. :) 
> 
> Again, SGN part 7 will start next week. We'll get to see a Kazuha's reaction to Hakuba which many of you have been asking for. ;)


	29. CardCaptor Conan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeynel was the lovely prompter for these two fics:
> 
> Oh! CardCaptorShinichi ! [....] Big humoristic reveal with more than a ball coming for Kaitou's face...
> 
> Or CardCaptorKaitou, though he'd enjoy putting on costume to much and he already has his skills...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the thoughts and ideas going into this fic.
> 
> PS - Hi again everyone! Month Hiatus over and a lovely story coming your way!
> 
> This month of updates is all Clamp based, meaning we'll be seeing some CardCaptor Sakura AUs along with Tsubasa Chronicles and XXXHolic.
> 
> And, as per usual, two updates in one this time!

“Smile, Tantei-kun!” KID flashed him a cheesy grin and pointed at the camcorder in his hands.

Conan scowled at him instead, pulling at the hem of his shirt. He isn’t sure how he ended up here, in this situation with an international Phantom Thief.

No, that wasn’t true.

He remembered exactly how it started. It started with a small key, an empty book and a talking stuffed animal. It continued with obstacles and situations the kind of which left Conan unable to ignore the existence of magic. When his best friend in Osaka turned out to be another ‘Guardian of Clow’, his fate was sealed.

This development with KID was… relatively new.

A card had decided to interrupt a heist –a quiet one without news crews –and KID had seen the entire thing. Afterwards, Conan realized he’d filmed the thing as well.

It was embarrassing.

Not as embarrassing as what KID made him _wear_ though.

“This is stupid,” Conan grumbled, tugging at the male-sailor uniform. It fit amazingly well, considering KID had never taken Conan’s measurements (that he knew of). “You realize no one’s going to see this, right? You better not be posting this anywhere online, you hear?!”

“It is _not_ stupid!” KID huffed, readjusting his lens. “And I won’t. You know me better than that! You’re just too adorable to miss a moment of!”

Before Conan could argue that he was _not_ adorable, Kero-chan went stiff. “It’s here!”

Turning quickly, Conan searched the sky, but that wasn’t where Kero was looking.

“Watch out!” Conan found himself against KID’s chest as they tumbled across the roof. A dark shadow slithered backwards from where Conan had been standing. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” Conan answered, pushing himself to his feet. More than fine, now that he knew what he was dealing with. He should have known. Wherever Light went, Shadow was sure to follow. “ _By the covenant, I, Shinichi, command you! Release! Light!”_

A burst of light flooded the area, dispelling all shadows but one. It surged toward KID. Conan gritted his teeth and held out his wand. _“Return to the form you were meant to be! Clow Card!_

More light, then darkness as a card dropped to the ground. Conan let out a sigh of relief and retrieved it.

“Excellent as always, Tantei-kun!” KID applauded, camcorder nowhere to be seen. He ducked as a soccer ball sailed past him. “Hmm… maybe I should take your weapons next time. “

“You think?” Conan readied his watched, but found the needle had already been deployed. When did…?

“Ah, as lovely as this night has been, I really must be going.” KID waved.

Then he was gone as quick as Conan’s Invisible Card. In his place was Conan’s clothes. “At least he didn’t make me wear these home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the idea here is that Conan takes Sakura's place, KID is something like Tomoyo (Sakura's friend that makes all her cute costumes) and Heiji takes Yukito/Yue's place with Kazuha taking something of a role like Toya where she gives Heiji magical power in order for him to survive.
> 
> I could have taken this many ways, and have, but this particular rendition has people in these roles.
> 
> Well, onto the second update! :)


	30. CardCaptor Kaito

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito or CardCaptor Sakura, only the ideas in this fanfic.
> 
> PS - Update #2! Now from Kaito's side! :D

This heist was strange. The guards all appeared to be frozen in place, expression blank. No matter how much Conan pushed against them, not a one budged. Nakamori himself was frozen mid-yell, sound long faded from the air. The sight sent a chill down Conan’s spine.

Something was very wrong.

Just as he was thinking he was trapped in a nightmare forever, Conan heard footsteps. Whirling around, he came face to face with… “KID?”

The thief seemed just as surprised. “Tantei-kun? What are you doing here? And why aren’t you…?”

“I could ask you the same,” Conan snapped, though his voice quaked as he looked over at the … statues again. “What’s going on? Why is everyone…?”

KID looked sad. “I’m sorry, Tantei-kun.”

“KID? What-?”

“ _Key that hides the forces of darkness, show me your true form.”_

Conan stared in horror as a key no longer than his pinky finger suddenly transformed into a long, pure white staff.

“K-KID?”

“ _By the covenant, I, Kaito, command you. Release, Sleep.”_

The world turned black.

*             *             *             *             *

KID caught the sleeping detective and laid him down gently. “He has power?”

Hakuba materialized from a wall, wings wrapped tightly around him before flaring in a stretch. He crossed his arms. “It appears so. I did not sense it, it is so faint, but it is there. Likely just remnants of a wizard in his bloodline.”

Hakuba watched as KID picked the small boy up in his arms and continue through the museum grounds, searching for the card causing the disturbance.

“Had you not found Clow’s book…” Golden eyes flicked to him. “I believe he would be next in line to be the heir of Clow Cards.”

Kaito frowned and looked down at the boy in his arms. A boy as young as Tantei-kun with the burden KID felt? Not if Kaito had anything to say about it.

They found the card quickly after that. Time had taken up residence nearby in the clock tower that KID had once stolen. It took very little to return it to its card form, then set the world to rights.

As KID’s staff turned into a tiny key once more, he looked over at the little detective, propped up against the wall, blissfully unaware of the world.

“Don’t worry, Tantei-kun.” KID ruffled the boy’s hair. “This won’t change anything.”

Conan woke up to Ran shaking his shoulder, asking him why he left the heist early and how he got home on his own. The only thing he could remember was a very strange dream…

At least… he hoped it was one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, for this one, Kaito is obviously Sakura, but Conan is taking a similar role to Syaoran -someone with family magic that could have been the Clow Master. While not trained like Syaoran is, he will prove to be a good ally when Kaito finally decides to ask for help.
> 
> Hakuba here, is taking Yukito/Yue's role, though he is the Sun-aligned guardian rather than Moon. Kero-chan is instead one of Kaito's doves that will gain a different form once Kaito finds enough Moon-aligned cards. Heiji is the one that plays Toya's role here and helps Hakuba maintain his Clow form.
> 
> Akako is the original maker of Clow Cards, for this one, at least in my head. She comes in later and either Aoko or Kaito's mom is the person she ends up splitting her power with, but I didn't get that far. It's just a little easter egg for those of you who know what I'm referring to. ;)
> 
> Anyway, see you next week!


	31. Shingetsu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito, only the idea behind this fic.
> 
> PS - Another CardCaptor Sakura AU, but this time, with a slight twist. Neither Kaito nor Shinichi are 'Sakura', but rather, two other characters. I thought about naming this CardCaptor Haibara, but the story didn't really focus on her, so I decided not to.
> 
> 'Shingetsu' means 'new moon'. I changed out Yue's name for this one, since it was similar to Shinichi's name. This did mean that Shinichi had to be clothed in black instead of the white of a 'full moon', but I don't think people will mind. :)

KID waited at the top of the clock tower, watching the slow journey of the moon. There were still several minutes before his meeting, but he feared the other would not show. He had never had cause to doubt Tantei-kun before this, but lately…

Lately, the detective had been slower, not just physically, but mentally too. The last heist, it had taken him up to KID’s _actual appearance_ to know the time and escape route. KID had warred with himself whether he should wait for the detective or not, but he’s glad he did. Because Tantei-kun caught up to him at the back entrance to the museum…

...and promptly collapsed.

At first, KID had thought it was a new ploy to get him to let his guard down, but when the boy didn’t move, he grew worried.

The boy breathed, but not even handling him had woken him up. There weren’t any injuries that KID could see, but the boy continued to sleep, dead to the world. A slow-mounting panic started in KID’s stomach, until at least five minutes later when the boy groaned, woken and startled to find himself in KID’s arms.

The subsequent shouting and flailing put KID’s heart at ease, but his worries didn’t subside.

He kept watch from the shadows, saw Tantei-kun lagging behind his peers, saw the worried looks from Ojou-chan. He noticed the way Tantei-kun slept more and longer and ate large meals but never seemed to gain weight. In fact, the boy looked to be getting thinner –and not in the way that denoted a growth spurt.

All these observations made him more worried.

He got his answer form Akako of all people.

“There is another witch in the city,” she said out of the blue. “I can feel her, but her powers are weak. She is sun-aligned, so her sun familiar is gaining power as she does, but her moon-aligned is fading. You have noticed it. You fear it.”

Kaito’s thoughts immediately turned to Tantei-kun, but… that couldn’t be right. He couldn’t be a familiar… right?

“The moon familiar is two-faced. Due to fading power, he must take a secondary form, one that lets him keep his reserves, but it only slows the output. If he depletes entirely, he will die,” Akako warned. “You could help if you so choose. Fortuna aligns herself with the moon. You could give him the boost he needs, but at a price.”

She had frowned at that and returned to her desk, refusing to say another word on the matter. It’s okay though. Kaito knew what he needed to do.

Which is why KID now found himself atop the clock tower, waiting for his little rival to appear. The gears overhead steadily clicked away the final seconds before the clock rang out the hour. The bongs reverberated though his entire body, vibrations rattling in his chest and deafening his ears. Twelve in total, then he felt eyes on his back.

“Tantei-kun,” he greeted, turning to spy the boy scowling at him tiredly.

“Kaitou KID,” Tantei-kun returned, putting his hands in his pockets. “Tell me why I shouldn’t capture you right here and now.”

“I’m only here to talk,” KID said, smile bright. “Besides, where would the fun be outside of a heist?”

The boy scoffed, but waved him off. “Go on then, what is it you want to discuss?”

“I’m afraid it’s not a conversation for you, but for the other you.” KID’s smile turned sad at Tantei-kun’s befuddlement. “Shingetsu.”

Tantei-kun’s frown deepened, then his eyes closed and he began to fall. KID reached forward, legs already working under him, but he need not worry. Instead of falling backwards down the winding stairs, Tantei-kun fell back into a bed of feathers. Brilliant black wings closed around him, trapping a blinding light within as he transformed.

Seconds later, Kaito was staring into the unimpressed gaze of a black garbed beauty. Black wings, black robes, black hair… the being appeared to be an adult Tantei-kun, though… his eyes were different. Instead of blue, they were black and clear as glass, reflecting the world around him, like the moon reflecting the sun’s light.

A moon-familiar indeed.

“I don’t have much time, idiot thief. If you have something to say, do so quickly.” Shingetsu crossed his arms impatiently.

“Ah, yes, you are quite low on magic, aren’t you?” KID grinned as the other tensed. “That’s what’s effecting Tantei-kun, making him eat more and sleep longer.”

“... Perhaps you are not quite the idiot I took you for.” Shingetsu shuffled his wings.

“I had a little help from a witch friend of mine, but that’s a story for another time.” KID held out his hand. “I’m here to strike a deal. I want Tantei-kun healthy as he should be and the only way to do so is to make sure you are healthy. I was told your master doesn’t have enough magic yet…”

“So you decide to offer yours.” Shingetsu looked torn, both very willing and not at all at the same time. “You don’t know what this means. Your magic is moon-based, yes, but without it, you will struggle far more. You heists…”

KID’s smile slipped. “Do I really rely on it that much?”

“More than you know.” Shingetsu looked at KID’s hand. “Your magic will return eventually, but in the meantime…”

He would probably have to put his heists on hold… just for a little while. He was loath to do so, but… Tantei-kun was worth more than his heists.

“If I do this, will Tantei-kun be okay?” KID asked, staring into those reflecting pools of black.

“Yes,” Shingetsu replied.

“Then that is all that matters,” KID said, smile on his face once again.

Shingetsu regarded him for a long moment before huffing a poorly disguised laugh. “You humans amaze me sometimes.”

Before KID could question him, Shingetsu grabbed his hand and reeled him in close. They were the same height, something Kaito hadn’t expected. He felt a hand wind around the back of his neck, tangle in the hairs at his nape. There was breath on his lips, warmth sealing over him, then more and _more_.

Oh wow. Okay. He hadn’t expected this.

He also didn’t expect the wave of cold to crash through him along with the hunger and exhaustion. Was this what Tantei-kun felt? All the time?

It was so… sad.

“Your magic.” The words came through a buffer, watery and distant. “It’s so warm, so bright and gentle… it flutters like a heart in my hands.”

Kaito’s own heart felt solid as a stone and just as icy.

“Thank you for your gift. I’ll take care of this chance you have given me.”

Kaito felt his body sag and float to the ground.

“Sleep now. I will watch over you until you wake.”

Then his vision blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, Nanowrimo starts next week! :D Can you believe it? So close! I'm using this year to finish up some original fictions of mine. Is anyone else participating? :)


	32. Hiatus Notice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Hiatus Notice. 
> 
> Hattori and Hakuba are very upset that they didn't get a lot of screen time in the most recent updates. I'll have to make it up to them.

Shinichi: [Puts a fourth script into the ‘Done’ pile just as the door opens up] Oh, hey, you’re back.

Kaito: [Perks up from his spot beside Shinichi] Welcome back!

Author: [Looks up from the ground with two characters in tow] Oh, right, yeah. I’m back.

Tanned brunette: [Stretches] Man, that was intense! Are all your stories like that?

Author: [Leading way to ‘Other Fandoms’ door] Pretty much. Any complaints?

Dark-haired Korean: I would prefer more fighting.

Tanned brunette: You always want more fighting. If you had it your way, you’d never leave the training room!

Dark-haired Korean: … Your point?

Kaito: [Sidles up to Author] So, you’re done with this fandom, right?

Author: [Shoving the other two characters inside the door] For now. I have another story, but it’s lengthy and will be a while yet before I finish it.

Shinichi: So you’re back to focusing on us, right?

Author: … Well… [A new character falls out of the doorway]. Not quite.

Long-haired blonde: What’s this? You’re finally coming back to my fandom? Took you long enough.

Author: … You want to try that again?

Long-haired blonde: Uh… I mean… thank you for choosing to work with me?

Author: Much better.

Shinichi: What? You’re leaving? Again?! I thought you said it would only be three weeks!

Author: And it was… for that fandom.

Kaito: But-but-but!

Author: Don’t get riled up. You have plenty of material here! In fact… here! More scripts!

Shinichi: [Takes the new scripts with a worried look]

Author: Be careful of one of those in there. I accidentally spilled vodka all over it, so it might be a bit damp.

Kaito: So… how long are you going to be gone this time?

Author: [Shrugs] I don’t know, as long as it takes? You guys know this isn’t science. There’s no chemical formula here to follow.

Long-haired blonde: Well, I mean, if you want to get technical…

Author: No. I do not.

Kaito and Shinichi: [Exchange worried looks]

Author: [Sighs] I’m not leaving you. That pile over there? [Gestures to mountain of half-finished works and ideas] That pile is three-quarters your stuff. Until that stuff runs out, I’m not going to leave you behind. And as long as those shelves [Points to bookshelves with labels of SGN, Pokemon, and Writer’s AU] aren’t filled with the complete series, I’ll always come back.

Shinichi: [Still doesn’t look happy]

Author: It’s just this next work period. After that, I’m back again… and, who knows? Maybe, by then, you’ll want to work with me on the Writer’s AU.

Kaito: [Hisses in contempt]

Author: … and you say that you’re cooperative.

Shinichi: [Realizes what they’ve done] Shi-! No! Wait!

Author: Come on, Ed. I’ve got plans for you. [Drags the long-haired blonde away]

Kaito: … We’ll be fine. Right Shinichi? [Looks over at Shinichi with a nervous gaze] We’ll be fine?

Shinichi: [Grip tightens on the stack of scripts] Right… we’ll… we’ll be fine…

Hattori: [Arriving with Hakuba] Hey guys, we’re back. It’s been three weeks, right? Is the Author back yet?

Shinichi: Yes… and no…

Hakuba: [Frowns] what do you mean ‘yes and no’?

Kaito: The author returned… and then left with another fandom.

Hattori: Wait, so we’ve been sidelined again!? For how long?!

Shinichi: [still staring at the door] Don’t know.

Hattori: That is not a helpful answer!

Shinichi: [Rounding on him] Look! There’s nothing I can do to change this! We’ll just have to hold down the fort until the Author comes back! So we just keep doing what we were-!

Hattori: Oh no, no you don’t! I get the AO3 fandom this time!

Kaito: What?

Hattori: I’m not going back to tumblr! There’s nothing to _do_ there!

Hakuba: I… have to agree. It is rather boring.

Hattori: There’s no prompts to fill!

Hakuba: And no one to talk to… except Hattori.

Hattori: Right… hey!

Shinichi: [Sighs heavily] Okay, fine, we’ll take turns. You can watch over AO3 for the first few weeks and we’ll keep switching until the Author gets back. Sound good?

Hattori: [Grins] Perfect!

Hakuba: I find this an acceptable arrangement.

Kaito: [Aghast] Shinichi!

Shinichi: It’ll be fine, Kaito. Now, let’s go.

Kaito: [Being dragged out by Shinichi, pointing back at Hakuba] You better not touch my things, Haku-bastard! I’ll know! I’ll always know!

[The two disappear.]

Hattori: … I’m touching all his things.

Hakuba: Please don’t.

Hattori: [frowns] Why not?

Hakuba: [Pales] Because he _will_ know. And he will get revenge.

Hattori: … [Thinks about it for 0.2 seconds] All the more reason to do so!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUICK NOTES:
> 
> This hiatus is going to be a bit longer than usual. I will be taking November for Nanowrimo and then December for family. I should be back in January, so long as I find time to write in between all the family stuff. We'll have to see. The next update will be on a Friday/Saturday though, so if you feel the need to check back every week, you can.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want to say "Good Job!" or "Update soon!", please just leave a Kudo (or a Kaito. All the Kudos are getting lonely.)
> 
> If you have constructive criticism, please leave a comment below. I am always looking to improve my skills, so any advice is helpful.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Just a suggestion](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13414401) by [Dissenter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dissenter/pseuds/Dissenter)




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